The Musings of Liz Bennet: A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice
by PairOfFineEyes5
Summary: A modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice written from Liz's point of view. Based loosely on places I've been, people and moments in my life, and, of course, Jane Austen's amazing characters. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Elizabeth glanced down at her iPod and changed the song. Turning up the volume, she looked out the window from her place in the backseat and got lost in the soothing classical melody playing through her headphones. The interstate was packed with cars, which wasn't a surprise given they were traveling the Friday before a holiday weekend. Even with the volume turned up, Liz couldn't completely drown out the cries of her youngest sister, Lydia, or her mother as they eagerly discussed their weekend plans.

As tradition dictated, her entire family was traveling to the Florida Keys to visit their Aunt and Uncle Gardiner for the Fourth of July holiday. Their summer home resided in a gated community in the northern half of Key Largo, Florida. About an hour south of Miami, it boasted million dollar mansions, private condominiums, a resort, several marinas that docked luxurious yachts, as well as various restaurants, shops, and golf courses, all available to those who could afford them.

Despite the archetypal airs that usually came from those residing at The Club, it was one of Liz's favorite places in the world. Nearly everything was either within walking distance or accessible by golf cart, the primary means of transportation within the property. The grounds were kept in immaculate condition. White and yellow orchids wrapped around trimmed palm trees, bright flowers were planted in the beds in front of every house and condo, and the pristine green grass did not contain a single stray leaf.

Elizabeth was most looking forward to curling up with a good book. Near the marina was an area called Palm Isle, which contained two swimming pools, a man-made lagoon, and a poolside bar, all of which overlooked the vast blue ocean. If she got there early enough, she could claim a lounge chair by the infinity pool where she could watch the yachts and other watercraft pulling into the marina. On the weekends they also had guitarists singing popular island songs poolside. To this day, every time Elizabeth heard a Jimmy Buffet song playing, she thought of The Club.

"And just think of how many families will be visiting this weekend," she could hear her mother saying. "Maybe you girls will meet some handsome, rich, eligible young men."

Liz had been listening to her mother give this same speech on their drive to The Club since she turned eighteen. Now a graduate student residing off campus at a university in Florida, she could typically escape her mother's fanciful declarations, but currently being confined to a car, all Liz could do was sigh and attempt to hold her tongue.

She threw a scowl in her older sister's direction. Jane, who sat contentedly in the middle seat next to her, simply smiled back encouragingly. Out of the three sisters, Jane was the gentlest. In Liz's opinion, her patient disposition and soft-spoken nature made her a perfect teacher. Since graduating with her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education three years ago, Jane had moved back home to Central Florida and began teaching kindergarten at a private school for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. From what Liz's mother told her, it seemed like the children adored Jane, who was too modest to make such a declaration herself.

"They'd better have a bonfire again this year!" stated Lydia, excitedly leaning forward from her seat. "It's the perfect romantic setting to meet a romantic stranger. Oh! Or the fireworks on Monday night!"

Liz rolled her eyes and removed the headphone from her right ear before addressing her sister. "Lydia, you know the odds of your life turning out like one of your romance novels are one in a million right?"

"Do you know that cynicism will one hundred percent guarantee that you will die old, ugly, and alone?" retorted Lydia with a smirk.

Liz scowled.

"As it happens," piped up their mother from the front of the car, "I spoke with your aunt just yesterday and she confirmed that The Club was hosting a bonfire and cocktail hour for all members and their guests on Palm Isle tomorrow night. She also said a certain new gentleman and his family would be in attendance. Apparently he is a fresh out of medical school and comes from a family of some means. Jane, he would do just fine for you!"

Liz threw her sister an understanding smile before catching her father's gaze in the rearview mirror. She rolled her eyes and heard him quietly chuckle from his seat behind the wheel. Although her father would never be able to admit it, she knew he favored her above her sisters. They shared the same sense of humor and enjoyed laughing at the expense of the others in their family, with the exception of Jane.

Her mother often dramatized her personal woes and avidly urged her daughters to find men of sizeable wallets. She once secretly signed both Liz and Jane up for MarryABillionaire, a dating website created with the sole purpose of matching women with amiable men. She had gone so far as to create profiles of both daughters and talk to unsuspecting men while impersonating them. If it hadn't been for Liz walking in on her private messaging a billionaire with the username TubFullOMoney, one of the rich bachelors could have randomly ended up at their dinner table, tub in tow.

"What about me mamma?" cooed Lydia. "Does this wealthy doctor have any _hot_ younger brothers?"

Her mother answered in the negative, but implied he may have other friends for Lydia to interact with.

At sixteen, Lydia was infatuated with the opposite sex, as most girls were. She spent the majority of her time either flirting, plastering scantily clad selfies on social media sites, or gossiping with her friends about the most "awesomely hot" boys at her university. Liz often wondered how her studies compared to that of her social life for she had never seen her sister once crack open a textbook.

Her father turned off the main roadway and onto the side road that brought them northward towards the country club. The mangroves on either side of the narrow roadway soon opened up to reveal the bridge separating their destination from the mainland. At the top, Liz could see The Club on their left and before she knew it they were at the security gate.

After the guard verified their name, the gate was raised and her father drove the car forward. The golf course surrounded both sides of the road and palm trees were strategically placed in the medians. Liz could see several couples teeing off or putting their little white balls into the hole on the green. Jane was the golfer in the family. She played competitively throughout high school and now went out for fun on occasion as time allowed between grading papers and organizing lesson plans. Liz, on the other hand, preferred swimming and had been on the varsity team in high school. To this day it was still her favorite form of exercise, mostly due to the fact that it provided much needed relief from the scorching sun and humidity. Lydia, as one could probably guess, did not care a lick about sports and had opted instead to advance her social skills.

At the fork, her father turned right towards the marina, deciding to take a quick tour before heading to their aunt and uncle's house. The marina was packed with yachts and Liz knew she would be fighting for that spot on Palm Isle. She spotted a few familiar names from last year, _Sailing Spree_ , _The Little Mermaid III_ , and _Donna Marie_. Several new yachts also crowded the docks. The largest of which being a six-deck super-yacht with a clean white exterior. Two jet skis sat contentedly on the vast back deck, and a boat larger than their car was tethered in the water behind it. The vessel took up at least two slips and the surrounding yachts looked miniscule floating next to it. As they passed, Liz noticed it was named _Pemberley_ and she wondered how one had come to pick that name.

They rounded the corner in the parking lot and passed the entrance to Palm Isle. Through the archway, she could see the pedestrian bridge that went over one of the smaller marinas, leading to the pool deck. Passing by the resort, which overlooked the pools, lagoon, and ocean, they headed towards the section that contained the privately owned homes and condos on the property. At the four way stop, they turned right and then right again onto Harbor Lane. The fifth house on the right was their aunt and uncle's. It was smaller than the two mansions on either side of it, but no one could beat the ocean view from the backyard. Even with its five bedrooms and four and a half baths, the family would have plenty of room, provided Jane and Liz continued to share a room as they had been doing their entire lives.

Liz placed her iPod in her purse and emerged from the car. Staring up, she admired the Florida Keys feel of the light blue home. White shutters lined each window, and a wrap around deck circled the first floor of the house. Palm trees and bright green bushes were scattered throughout the yard, and floor to ceiling windows allowed one to peer directly from the road and see out to the ocean on the other side.

All five of them walked up the steps to the front door and were greeted by Daniel and Valerie Gardiner.

"You're finally here!" said Val in her sweet British accent, eagerly hugging everyone within reach. She wore a yellow sundress that accentuated her small, petite frame. White wedge heels gave her an additional few inches, but she still came up short compared to the others in the family.

Liz eagerly accepted her aunt's embrace. She adored both her aunt and uncle and traveled with them often. So far they had taken her to Alaska, Maine, Vancouver, and San Juan. As traditional dictated, they planned to travel again next year. Liz was particularly excited to see Val's hometown in Derbyshire later next year for she had never been to Europe, but hearing about the clean air and small town Val grew up in always held a special appeal for Liz.

"Come on in," said Dan after he finished hugging Jane. He extended his hand, inviting them into the airy home. When they all entered, Dan closed the door and tucked his hands in his navy blue short pockets. Upon closer inspection, Liz saw they had white anchors on them. His crisp white collared shirt did not contain a single crease or wrinkle. No doubt his time in the military had instilled many permanent habits.

Her uncle had enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school and shortely thereafter decided to make a career of it. Liz always believed it was to escape her mother, for the siblings were polar opposites when it came to personality. Where Liz's mother was outspoken, overly opinionated, and harsh, her uncle was quiet, approachable, and soft-spoken. Uncle Dan had eventually risen to a Vice Admiral and had retired a few years ago after completing 38 years of service. Even now he always had to live within a mile of a body of water and their home in Florida was just one of many they possessed on the Eastern coast of the United States.

In addition to their Florida Keys home, they also owned a lake house in North Carolina, a four-story brownstone in New York City and a quaint cottage in England. Val had grown up in a modest household in Derbyshire. When she was sixteen her father agreed to open a business with an old friend from university. She moved to Lakenheath that summer with her parents. Knowing the Air Force Base in Lakenheath would provide ample business, they opened the Ye Olde Pub within a year. To make some money, Val began assisting her father in the pub and, as she grew older, also helped when she was home on breaks from school. One night a handsome American sailor caught her attention and the rest was history.

Val and Dan married after a year's worth of letters traveled between the pair. She ended up moving from England to the States and the pair traveled across the world together, wherever his job took them. On the side, Val worked as a remote English tutor and travel blogger, writing about her journeys from continent to continent and how best to travel on a budget.

"Did you take a detour?" hollered Val from the kitchen. "The gate called just after you arrived and it took you longer than I expected to reach the house."

"Yes," shouted Mrs. Bennet in her direction, "You know my husband, always eager to see all the boats."

Mr. Bennet was an avid fisherman. Like Liz's uncle, he too preferred being on the water. Liz suspected it was to escape the house and her mother as she did not like the idea of not knowing what was beneath her feet at all times. Most weekends her dad would take his little boat out and be gone for hours, sitting in the Intracoastal Waterway, fishing pole in hand, enjoying the solitude.

"I noticed there were several large yachts in the marina," continued Mrs. Bennet as Val entered the living room and sat on one of the sofas. "Do any belong to that young man you were telling me about?"

"Christopher Bingley? No, I do not believe he owns a yacht," responded Val, walking in with a tray of ice teas. Liz eagerly took one of the glasses from off the ottoman and sat down next to Jane, readying herself for another one of her mother's suitor speeches. "I do think, however, that I heard in passing one of the super-yachts belonged to a friend of his. A William Darcy."

 _Oh no_ , thought Liz, knowing full well what was coming.

"I believe they are staying there until the renovations are complete on Christopher's home," said Val.

"Liz," her mother said addressing her, "it seems that we have a nice young man for you as well."

Liz rolled her eyes and threw a 'help me' face towards Jane.

"And how well off is he?" inquired Mrs. Bennet, taking a sip of her own drink.

"Mother!" said Liz, "That is really none of our business."

"Eliza, dear," retorted her mother. "I'm sure it's common knowledge amongst everyone here at The Club. Aren't I right, Val?"

"Well he is a new member, and I am currently on the member's board so yes, amongst us it is common knowledge as you must have a certain income to maintain club membership," said Val.

Mrs. Bennet stared fixedly at Val, not willing to back down or retract her question. Val however could be just as stubborn as Liz's mother.

"I will not be naughty and tell you his net worth," said Val pointedly, "but I can tell you that he has inherited a hotel fortune and is vey well off."

Val took a sip of her tea, signaling she did not wish to gossip about the newest member's income any longer.

"Anyways," said Val, "Christopher bought the old mansion out on Cannon Drive. You should drive by later and take a look. You wouldn't recognize the house now. You're free to take the golf cart."

"Let's go now!" said Lydia eagerly. "And then we can go to Palm Isle. I did not come down here just to sit in the house all day."

"The keys are in the normal spot on the kitchen counter when you're ready to leave," said Dan from the corner of the room.

"Thanks, Uncle Dan," responded Elizabeth, shooting him a smile.

Liz changed into her black bikini and cover-up. Grabbing her beach bag from her suitcase, she began filling it with a book, suntan lotion, sunglasses, and goggles, in case she decided to swim some laps. She ran into Jane as she was coming back from changing in the bathroom. Liz said she would grab the keys and meet her in the kitchen. Lydia was already changed into a skimpy red bikini when she arrived and was attempting to take a flattering selfie with her phone.

"You're going to put a cover up on, right?" inquired Elizabeth.

"What's the point?" said Lydia, still looking into the camera lens of her phone. "We are going for a short drive and then I will just have to take it off when we get to the pool anyways."

Liz knew there was sometimes no use arguing with her younger sister. When it came to Lydia, she was better off saving her energy to win a more important battle later on. But, just in case they decided to eat at the open aired restaurant, she dropped Lydia's cover up in her bag.

Liz grabbed the keys and took a few cold bottles of water from the fridge. Jane entered as Lydia was scrolling through her photos, trying to find the best photo to post on her Instagram account.

"Ugh! None of these are good enough," she complained, tossing her phone into her own bag. "I'll just take more at Palm Isle. Can we go now?"

"Yes," said Jane, peering out from behind her floppy straw hat and oversized sunglasses. "Let me go tell them we are leaving." While they were changing, their parents and aunt and uncle had made their way to the back deck, which overlooked the ocean and part of Palm Isle. A light breeze was coming off the ocean. They all sat around an empty fire pit, drinks in hand, and a small spread of appetizers laid out in front of them.

"Keep a eye on your youngest sister," Liz could hear her mother ordering Jane as she walked with Lydia towards the front door.

Liz hopped into the driver's seat of the golf cart, happy to have some semblance of freedom back. As soon as Jane joined them, they were off in the direction of Christopher Bingley's house.

* * *

Driving the golf cart around was one Liz's favorite things to do at The Club. Taking a deep breath, she propped her left foot on the golf cart dashboard and maneuvered their way onto Cannon Drive. After tucking some of her wavy brown hair behind her ear, she was able to spot the house at a distance.

As they approached the end of the street, Liz noticed that the home had been upgraded from two floors to three. An extra garage has been added as well, and many vans and trucks were parked out front. Construction workers busily bustled on the front porch and third story addition.

"It's completely different," said Liz, slowing down. "It looks like they even purchased the lot next door."

"It's massive!" screeched Lydia from the back of the golf cart. "Better hope mom doesn't see it, Jane, or she will be even more gung-ho on you and Bingley for sure!"

Liz glanced over at Jane just in time to see a blush creeping to her cheeks.

"It's nice of her to care so much about us," said Jane.

"More like obsess," retorted Liz. "It's astounding how someone his age can afford this."

"Before we left mom told me his parents left him and his sister, Caroline, a lot of money when they died," said Lydia. "They were both relatively famous plastic surgeons out in California, and Bingley and Caroline moved to the East coast to get away from all the prestige."

"Wow! I didn't know you knew such big words, Lydia," teased Liz.

"Shut up!" said Lydia, punching Liz in the arm. "Anyways, that's also apparently why he decided to become a doctor, pediatrician specifically- it was too painful to follow in their footsteps. Plus he has always liked kids, though I couldn't imagine why. He's even in some mentor program near their other home in New York. And Caroline is a model. She was recently featured in _Cosmopolitan_ magazine and is walking in New York Fashion Week later this year. It's rumored she is dating a handsome billionaire. Must be nice…"

"Where on earth does mom manage to get her information from?" said Liz exasperatedly.

"Well all the Bingley stuff is from mom," said Lydia. "I Googled information on Caroline on the drive down."

"I don't think that it's right to gossip about them," said Jane. "Let alone right in front of their home."

"It's not like they're here!" stated Lydia.

"You're right, Jane," Liz agreed. "Let's head to Palm Isle." Stepping on the pedal, she rounded the cul-de-sac and drove back up the street.

"Hey, Liz!" Lydia shouted over the wind. "Drive by the super-yachts again. Maybe we can spot your Mr. Darcy! I'll Google him too if you want!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Since their aunt and uncle had been members at the club for so long, there were also additional "free" amenities available to both themselves and their guests. This meant that Liz and her sisters were able to enjoy recreational activities, such as kayaking, paddle boarding, and sailing. In addition, they had a five star spa at their disposal as well as drinks and hors d'oeuvres on Palm Isle every weekend at 5pm. The Club also hosted free events in general around the holidays to keep guests out and about, enjoying the facilities.

By the time the girls arrived at Palm Isle, the seats near the inlet were all taken, so they instead opted to lie near the lagoon where the lounge chairs overlooked the ocean. The lagoon was a decent size and it boasted a variety of marine life. There were small kayaks and pedal boats available to smaller children who could not yet venture into the ocean themselves. A the heart of the lagoon floated a dock and kids often would play chicken, pushing each other off into the refreshing water. Nearby, a group had begun a volleyball game in the sand and a father and son were taking a boat out to go sailing.

Liz turned a page in her book. She sat contentedly underneath the shade of an umbrella, the breeze coming off the ocean making the heat somewhat tolerable. Palm trees grew from the sand and hammocks were swinging contentedly between them. The rock wall, which separated the sea from the elevated beach, provided soothing noise as the waves came in and lapped against the rocks. Since she had a slight break from scholarly articles and boring textbooks, Liz took the opportunity to reread one of her favorite novels. Lydia had convinced Jane to try paddle boarding with her, since she did not want to look like an idiot all on her own should she not succeed. The ramp leading into the ocean was several meters to Liz's right, and Lydia instructed Liz to take flattering pictures of her as they sailed by, wanting to show off all of her adventures and slimming beach body on her social media sites.

Liz sighed happily, releasing the last bit of her pent up stress and these rare moments like this where she found herself alone. She placed her book down on the empty lounge to her left, where Jane had placed her beach bag before being dragged off by Lydia. Looking out at the ocean, Liz took in the scenery. Of all the places she had traveled to, The Club was still her favorite. Granted she hadn't traveled outside of the U.S. all that much, but despite her partiality to cold, rainy weather, this is what came to mind when she found herself retreating to her happy place.

"Liz!"

She glanced out into the water and saw both her sisters standing on their paddleboards in front of her. The ocean was relatively placid and both girls only wobbled slightly in their upright positions. Reaching for Lydia's phone, Liz began taking a series of photos for her sister, hoping one of them would be to her liking, lest she hear about it later.

Jane cautiously raised an arm and waved. Liz waved back and she could hear Lydia complaining how her legs were aching already from the short paddle out there.

Liz snapped a few pictures of her sisters with her own phone before the girls began paddling back towards shore. Turning around, she also snapped pictures of the scenery. After checking for messages from her roommate and best friend, Charlotte, she tucked her phone safely away in her bag and pulled out her sunscreen. Once she felt satisfied her shoulders, arms, legs, stomach, and face wouldn't burn as they normally were prone to, she reached for her water bottle.

She took a sip and immediately engulfed more than she intended to. The culprit, a lone white volleyball, landed in the sand next to her chair. Instinctively shrieking from the cold water, Liz stood and grabbed a towel, patting herself down. Upon seeing her book sopping up the remaining water from the sideways bottle now next to it, she scowled.

"Oh! I am so sorry!" said a man rushing towards her. He appeared to be only a few years older than her. He had light brown hair and had a shy, boyish smile, which was on display now. His bathing suit hung low on his hips and he carried himself like he came from money but did not appear to be pretentious about it.

"My friend," he said, pointing to a tall, handsome man behind the volleyball net, "has not yet mastered the ability to keep the ball within bounds."

Liz glanced over at the man and instead of receiving a vocal apology or apologetic wave, as she expected, she was instead met with a dark scowl.

"Well, it appears he has a lot to work on," Liz responded, turning back to the man in front of her. She hoped he caught her double meaning.

"I'm Chris," said the new acquaintance, holding out his hand.

"Elizabeth, but you can call me Liz," she replied, shaking his hand politely. Remembering her book, she removed her hand and reached over, pulling it out of the puddle.

"Is it ruined?" he asked with genuine concern.

"No, it'll dry, but I don't believe I will be able to read it anytime soon," she responded, placing it on a dry spot on a small table near her chair.

"Again, I am so sorry. We kind of got carried away with our competitiveness."

"Liz, what happened?" asked Jane alarmed as she strolled back over, Lydia beside her.

"She was unfortunately the target of a stray volleyball serve," said Chris to her eldest sister with a charming smile.

Lydia laughed. "It's just your luck, Liz! No matter where we are, she always manages to attract balls. The last time we were at a baseball game, we were sitting between third plate and home and the batter hit a foul. The ball flew over the safety net and struck the bleachers right next to where she sat. Oh! And another time…"

"Thank you, Lydia…." said Liz quickly interrupting her from telling another embarrassing story. She tried to ignore the blush rising to her cheeks from her sister's unintentional innuendo. At any other moment she would have been proud of her sister's knowledge of sports terminology, but right now all she wanted to do was redirect the topic of conversation. "Chris, these are my sisters, Jane and Lydia."

"Very nice to meet you," responded Chris sincerely. "Were you both paddleboarding?"

"Yes," confirmed Jane with a smile. Liz noticed she had not taken her eyes from him since she walked up.

"I typically go out every morning," Chris said. "Either that or kayaking. The mangroves opposite Palm Isle are particularly fun to go through because the waters are so calm." He hesitantly added, "You should come sometime," glancing hopefully at Jane.

"I would like that," she responded, obviously flattered at receiving his attention.

Leaning over, Liz picked up the ball at her feet and tossed it over to Chris, who caught it easily. She thought he was nice and all but she didn't want her sister to get swept up in some fleeting weekend romance that would never last. She'd seen it so many times before. Goodness men rounded the block vying for her sister's attention. Once they had her, however, they took advantage of her gentleness and then dumped her once another conquest came into their sights. No way was she going to let anyone break her sister's heart this weekend. She eyed Chris and hoped he'd take the hint.

"Would you three want to join our game?" he asked suddenly, still eyeing Jane.

Jane glanced over at Liz, her face obviously giving away that she wanted to. Before Liz could protest, Lydia answered in the affirmative.

"Great!" he said, leading them over to the volleyball court. Before following, Liz lifted her book from the table, dabbed it dry, and sat it down on a nearby lounge chair in the sun. The pages flipped back and forth from the breeze, and she hoped it would dry quickly as she had just gotten to one of her favorite parts. She saw the notes she'd made in the margins were already starting to bleed. Sighing, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and ran after them.

To Liz's disappointment, Chris ushered her over to Mr. Brooding's side of the net.

She couldn't deny she found him attractive… very attractive. With his six-pack abs, dark wavy hair, intense eyes, and tan skin. He had a confidence about him that demanded respect, especially now with his arms crossed over his chest, but all that came secondary to the fact that he was an arrogant snob.

Lydia was on her team, for any consolation that offered. She was currently by the net, slightly bent over with her hands on her knees. Her butt bounced up and down as she pumped herself up for the game. Mr. Brooding stood directly behind Lydia, scrutinizing her behavior. Liz noticed he snuck a look in her direction, but she pretended to ignore him. She expected at least an attempt at another apology once she was within five feet of him, but he still remained silent.

"Hi!" said a friendly British voice from behind her. "I'm Georgiana."

"Liz," responded Elizabeth, extending her hand. The girl looked about Lydia's age, but carried herself with more finesse. She had raven colored hair and dark brown eyes, which accentuated her tan skin. Her nails were nicely manicured and she wore a modest black and white Chanel bathing suit and a matching hat.

"I'm sorry about the volleyball," she offered. "Was your book ruined? I saw you trying to dry it off."

"Yeah I hope it will be, but it wasn't your fault," she said, shooting Will a pointed look.

"Regardless, I wanted to say I was sorry all the same," she said sincerely. Liz began respecting this one friend of Chris'. Despite her obviously affluent upbringing, Georgiana appeared humble and down-to-earth. "I'm so happy you and your sisters could play with us," she continued. "It gets so boring playing with my brother and his friends."

"Chris is your brother?" Liz asked. It made sense given their kind, outgoing personalities.

"Oh no!" Georgiana said with a laugh. "Will is my brother."

She pointed at Mr. Brooding.

"Seriously? But you're nothing alike," Liz blurted out before she could help herself. She glanced over at Will and saw he had been observing their conversation.

Georgiana released giggle that implied she had heard that response more than once. "Tell me about it," she said.

"You guys ready?!" hollered Chris from the other side of the net. He stood behind the line with the ball in hand, prepared to serve. Georgiana stepped back to take her position near the front of the net and Liz stepped back next to Will.

The teams looked pretty evenly matched. Will, Georgiana, Lydia, and Liz stood on one side, and Jane, Chris and two other females Liz had yet to meet were on the other. The guys both stood in the back and the females filled in the gaps.

"Yes!" most of them cheered. Chris threw the ball into the air and served it over the net. It bounded towards Will, who easily hit the ball, sending it flying back over the net towards Jane. She tried to keep the ball in play but it went sideways and flew out of bounds.

"Good try, Jane!" Liz shouted encouragingly to her sister. Chris chased after it and came back a few moments later, ball in hand. He tossed it to Will.

His serve crossed over the net and one of the unnamed females skillfully popped the ball up in the other's direction, setting her up to spike the ball over the net. The ball landed in the sand near Liz's feet before she knew what happened.

Bending over, Liz picked up the ball and tossed it towards one of the girls. She was rewarded with a glare from the youngest, who eyed her like she was invading on her territory. Liz stared back confused until she saw the girl's eyes move towards Will.

Liz couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out of her. Did this girl seriously think she was vying for Will's attention? If anything, she wanted to get as far away from him as soon as possible.

Before she could convey any motions indicating that was not the case, the youngest girl served. The volleyball headed straight at Liz. Raising her arms, she bumped the ball high into the air outwardly towards Will. He jumped up and hit the ball in his sister's direction. She jumped up near the net and knocked it over to the other team's side. Jane saved the ball, which gained her an encouraging "whoop" from Chris, before the elder anonymous female attempted to save the awkwardly bounding ball, which hit the net and fell to the sand.

"Yeah!" shouted Lydia, who had remained pretty much stationary by her spot near the net so far. She enthusiastically threw her arms up in the air and wiggled her butt once more. The group played for several more rounds. Sweat fell from Liz's brow as her team scored one more point. She high fived Georgiana and saw Chris walk over to say something to Jane, who giggled in response.

"Chris," Liz heard the youngest female coo suddenly from the other side of the net, "don't we have lunch reservations at one? We should probably get going if we are to make them."

"Do we?" responded Chris, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yes," said Will, speaking for the first time, surprising Liz with his rich British voice. "Care made them yesterday."

The female threw Will an affectionate smile. Liz wanted to gag.

"Oh," said Chris, looking a bit downcast. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you all."

"You as well," said Jane softly.

"I am sorry the game had to be cut short," Chris quickly added, "but Jane we have a 9 o'clock tee time tomorrow morning. You mentioned earlier that you are an avid golfer. Would you be interested in joining us?"

Liz saw her sister's face light up.

"Of course she would!" screeched Lydia, clenching onto Jane's arm.

"It's settled then," responded Chris enthusiastically. "I shall have a car pick you up at 8am."

Liz tried to be supportive as they exchanged information, but she couldn't help but feel like her sister would end up wounded come Tuesday.

She learned in conversation Caroline was the name of the female that shot her a piercing glare earlier. She stood next to Chris now, trying to discretely urge him away from Jane. The older female, Lou, suddenly piped up, her shrill voice saying she didn't want to be late meeting her fiancé at the restaurant.

So one of the girls, Liz reasoned, was taken, and if she had to guess, Caroline and Will were together, as he had affectionately called her "Care" earlier. Curious nickname. Liz wondered if she even possessed a caring bone in her body.

Chris nodded and the three walked away. Will caught Liz's eye and offered a stern but polite goodbye. Under any other circumstance, Liz would have melted at his strong British voice. Georgiana walked over to Liz after he left and, surprisingly, gave her a hug.

"We should get together tomorrow, " she said. Liz voiced the same sentiments, already feeling a genuine friendship forming, and they agreed to meet for lunch while everyone was out golfing.

After they left Lydia went over to sit in the hot tub and "ease her sore muscles from the volleyball game" as she put it. Liz and Jane chuckled at their little sister's antics as they walked back to their chairs for neither one recalled seeing Lydia touch the ball once during the game.

Liz picked up her book, which had dried somewhat. The pages were still damp and were drying crinkly. Her annotations in the margins had run down the page, leaving them unreadable. Liz sighed, realizing she would have to buy a replacement and start from scratch. Even the white cover was turning a yellowish sickly color. She placed it back in the sun and plopped down on a lounge in the shade.

"What happened to your book?" inquired Jane as she offered her a bottle of water. Liz updated her on everything she missed while paddleboarding with Lydia. When she was done, Jane said, "It's not like he did it on purpose, Lizzy."

"Maybe not," Liz admitted. "But still, he didn't offer a single apology. Will's sister was more sympathetic than he was."

"Georgiana? Yeah she seemed sweet, although I didn't get much time to speak with her. Caroline and Lou were very kind. Chris is the middle sibling."

"Oh," said Liz after she swallowed, "they're all related?"

"Yeah. Chris said they just joined the club a few months ago."

Lydia came back just then. Picking up a towel, be began drying off and said, "Who knew they would be so down-to-earth?"

"Who?" asked Liz.

"Christopher and Caroline Bingley," she said nonchalantly, dropping into an open chaise.

"Oh my gosh. I can't believe I didn't realize it," said Liz, knowing it made sense.

"For always saying you're so intelligent," retorted Lydia, "you can be really stupid sometimes."

"Thanks…" said Liz dryly.

"You're most welcome," Lydia said with a smile. "Jane, wait until mom hears you already met the infamous Chris Bingley! I bet she will start arranging wedding details and picking our your children's names."

"I think it's best we hold off on telling her," said Liz quickly after seeing Jane's wide eyes. "You know how she can be."

Lydia looked as if she was about to argue, but thought better of it. Instead she said, "Ok. Only if you agree not to tell her I am going out this afternoon with a boy I met at the pool."

 _Well that didn't take too long,_ thought Liz. "Fine," she said, "but don't do anything reckless."

"Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy," Lydia chastised, "has anyone told you lately you're too uptight? Get your nose out of the books and live a little this weekend. Meet someone. Have a fling."

"Guys are either arrogant or stupid," said Liz.

"One of these days, you'll meet someone and have to eat your words," mocked Lydia.

"Lydia's right, Lizzy," said Jane softly. "Besides, I saw the way you were eyeing Will."

Liz gasped. "I was not!"

Jane smirked.

"Oh, she isn't lying, Liz, we all saw," Lydia mocked.

"I am not pining over Will! If anything I was turned off by his rude behavior. He's so arrogant and condescending," argued Liz. "Seriously we played for what, an hour? And in that time he did not say one word to me. Not one! Who does that?"

Liz was met with giggles from her sisters. "You are so into him!" shrieked a giddy Lydia.

"No, I am not!" her sisters continued staring and giggling at her. "Ugh! I'm going for a swim." Liz got up from her chair. Grabbing her goggles, she made her way over to the pool, wanting to swim laps to rid some frustration from her tense body.

* * *

That night they sat in The Galley, an upscale restaurant at The Club that overlooked the marina. Large ship wheels and rope decorated the walls. The nautical theme even carried itself to the table where iron breadbaskets were delivered in the shape of boats and salt and pepper shakers stood in the form of mini lighthouses on the table. The menu boasted a number of seafood options and, despite not being a seafood eater, Liz was always able to find something on the menu to her liking.

Her family was sitting at a table near a window when Chris, his sisters, Georgiana, Will, and the mysterious fiancé were ushered in.

"Oh!" gasped Mrs. Bennet. "That's him, Jane! That's him!"

Turning around, Jane's eyes caught Chris'. He waved and began walking over, leaving his party behind.

"He's coming over!" barked their mother. "Everyone behave naturally."

"Hello Jane, Liz, Lydia, lovely to see you all again," said Chris, flashing a brilliant smile.

"You as well, Chris," said Jane. "These are our parents and aunt and uncle."

"Christopher Bingley," he said in greeting. "Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, lovely to see you again. I did not mean to interrupt your meal, but I could not bypass the opportunity of introducing myself to your parents and ensure we are still on for golf tomorrow morning, Jane."

Liz knew that comment would send their mother into a tizzy. "Oh of course you are!" Mrs. Bennet said feigning importance. "Jane is quite looking forward to it! Aren't you, dear?"

Jane stared wide-eyed at her mother, not knowing what to say, for she was too shocked. She eventually managed to look at Chris and offer a shy smile.

"Very well then, I shall see you tomorrow. Good evening." With that, Chris walked across the room and rejoined his table.

Will caught her eye for a moment but Liz abruptly broke eye contact. Why did she always catch him staring at her?

"Girls!" scolded their mother in a hushed voice as she leaned over the table towards them. "Why didn't you tell me you'd already met Christopher Bingley?! Or that Jane was going out with him tomorrow?!"

Liz shared blank glances with her sisters before realizing they were leaving it to her to speak on their behalf. "Really mom, we had no idea it was him," Liz began. "We played volleyball with Chris and his sisters earlier today and he never gave any indication."

"Who's that man with him?" their mother asked, eyeing their table. "Val, is that the friend you were talking about? William Darcy?"

Val nodded in the affirmative as she took a sip of her tea. Liz never understood how she could drink it even on the most humid of days.

"My is he handsome," said their mother, staring blatantly at him from across the room. "And to think he is richer than Chris! Lizzy, maybe you should see if you can go on this golf outing tomorrow as well. Get to know Will better."

"I can't just invite myself, mom," Liz retorted. "Besides, I already have plans with Will's sister."

"Very good, Lizzy! Getting in close to his sister first, that's the way to do it," Mrs. Bennet nodded approvingly before continuing her tirade.

Liz threw a "help me" face to her dad and he soon, along with her uncle, had the entire table engrossed in a conversation about their fishing adventure that afternoon involving an old fishing pole and old, wet boot.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Elizabeth stepped on the pedal as she drove the golf cart to the 18th Green. The restaurant was perched on a lake at the edge of one of the golf courses. Looking out the windows, one could see groups putting their way to a finish on the grassy green. Liz found a parking spot and walked inside. Georgiana had texted her saying she had already been seated Liz looked around and spotted her by the window.

Georgiana rose and hugged her when she reached the table, which, no doubt, was the best seat in the room. Each chair boasted a view of the golf course and a waiter was standing nearby waiting to assist them once they settled. Liz would have to get used to this. The girls talked easily for the next hour about their families and lives in general.

Elizabeth learned that Georgiana was a current undergraduate student at a private university in Newport, RI. The campus sounded beautiful from the way she described it. The old redbrick buildings overlooked the Atlantic Ocean, and surrounding the campus were mansions of various archetypes. Georgiana explained they used to be the summer cottages of America's elite families. Many had servant wings, carriage houses, and stables. The numerous rooms were filled with gilded ceilings, elegant chandeliers and rich furniture. All boasted at least one ballroom to entertain guests during the summer months, each family trying to upstage the other. The homes were now open to the public, and Georgiana said she had volunteered from time to time since she enjoyed meeting the tourists as they visited the homes. Georgiana pulled out her phone as she described her university home, flipping through several pictures of her campus and the mansions. Liz admired the unobstructed views of the back of the limestone and marble mansions. She asked Georgiana how she managed to get the photos and she told her a cliff walk ran along the ocean. She swiped and more photos of the walkway showed on the screen.

Liz also learned that Georgiana was studying business and economics, to eventually, as she put it, "help out with the family business." The Darcy's apparently owned luxury resorts sprinkled around the United States and Europe. Her and Will were born in England but their family moved to the States when Georgiana was five. Their parents were tragically killed in a car accident ten years later and Will had raised her ever since.

"Do you have any other family?" Liz asked.

"Our Aunt Catherine and cousin, Anne," she replied. "They live close to our place in New York City. The first hotel our parents opened in the U.S. was in the city and Will didn't want to leave after they passed. I think he feels close to them being surrounded by the buildings and the hotel."

Liz grew uncomfortable with the sudden turn in the conversation and was thankful when Georgiana asked about her studies. She informed her she was in her final few semesters of her graduate degree, studying to teach English as a second language. She hoped to live abroad some day and Liz mostly had Val to thank for leading her in that direction. She had, like Jane, discovered her love of teaching, but did not have the patience for younger kids as her sister did. Teaching college age students though allowed her to do what she loved while instructing those old enough to care for themselves.

When she got a text from her mother asking when she would be home and then another from her aunt asking her to run by the grocery store, Liz regrettably asked for her bill and told Georgiana they would meet up again at the member's cocktail hour on Palm Isle that night. They quickly hugged and Liz walked out to her golf cart. She decided to take the scenic route past the marina on her way to the store.

The automatic doors swooshed open and Elizabeth happily walked into the air-conditioned building. Grabbing a basket, she made her way to the dairy section. Her aunt said she forgot to get mushrooms, potatoes, and more eggs for the brunch she planned to make the next day after church.

Swinging the basket in her hand, she selected out a carton of eggs and was walking over to produce when she heard two familiar voices. Peaking around the aisle, she saw Chris and Will.

"Jane is the most beautiful girl I have ever met in my life," said Chris, still in his shorts and golf polo. "Her sister, Liz, is very nice as well. Don't you agree?"

"Liz is decent enough I suppose," commented Darcy, "but Jane is definitely the most attractive of the sisters."

Liz gasped in horror. _Decent enough_? Her shock soon turned to anger.

She could not help her appearance. Her plain brown hair at least held some curl to it, and her brown eyes were fine she supposed for she had not heard anything against them. She once had been complimented on her nose, which at the time she thought was odd, but now she would be second guessing that remark until the day she died. Granted she did not wear makeup often, but her skin was clear and she wasn't clumsy. She believed she walked with relative grace and poise. She wasn't too tall or too short, even though Charlotte tended to tease her for her stature, seeing as she was at least several inches taller than Liz. And although she wasn't completely fit, she did take care of her body and was proud of the way she looked. Yet one word from that man ruined all self-confidence and assurance she once possessed.

Liz quickly walked in the direction of the produce. She wanted to avoid all possible risk of running into them for she felt she would not be able to hold her tongue should they meet. She had grown to respect Chris and even though her family was leaving on Tuesday, she believed he would keep in touch with Jane once she was back home. She reached for two containers of mushrooms and a bag of potatoes before stepping in line at one of the counters.

Elizabeth placed the basket on the belt and took out her phone, checking for any messages from Jane. There was one text from Charlotte with a sad selfie saying how much she missed her and one from Jane stating how she had a great time golfing and couldn't wait to tell her all about it. Sticking her phone back in her purse, she took out her credit card, ready to pay as the cashier scanned her items.

"Liz?" she heard a deep British voice say behind her. She cursed inwardly before turning around.

"Hello Chris," she said smiling brightly, intentionally ignoring the one who originally addressed her. She then turned to Will and shot him a scowl. "Will," she said with feigned indifference.

Chris must have noticed for he quickly took control of the conversation. "It's ironic we met you here, we just dropped Jane off."

Liz stepped forward and ran her credit card.

"Really?" she said. "How did you shoot?"

"Quite well," Chris responded. "Although Will here has always beaten me on the links. I mostly go for pure pleasure not the competitiveness."

Will stayed silent, not adding anything further to the conversation.

Liz looked at Chris with a smile. "Oh, I'm sure Will here thinks you played _decent enough_ ," slowly enunciating the last two words and directing them at Will.

Will stood there in awkward silence, realization slowly coming to his face. She kept his eye contact for a while before smirking, grabbing her groceries, wishing them a good day, and walking out the door. As she stuffed the bags into the back of the golf cart, she groaned, realizing she would see him again later that night.

* * *

"Oh, Liz, it was so much fun!" said an excited Jane as they sat on the bed in their room. Lydia was out gallivanting around with her weekend fling, while dad and their uncle were watching some fishing show in the den. Mom had lured Aunt Val outside, most likely to gossip about Chris now that Jane had answered all of her questions. Liz had finished telling Jane the conversation she overheard at the store and was now sitting on her bed, legs crossed in front of her, listening to her delighted sister dish all about her morning.

"The car drove me to the clubhouse and there he stood waiting for me. He opened my door and gave me a kiss on the cheek," Jane gushed. "We rode together in the golf cart all morning. Chris told me about his studies and his residency training for the next few years. He's very excited about it. We also discussed his parents and hopes for the future. It's amazing how someone who has been through so much can still have such a positive outlook on life. Really the whole thing was like living a date from an episode of The Bachelor." They chuckled. "I also got to know Caroline better," Jane added.

Elizabeth groaned.

"Oh Liz, don't be like that," chastised Jane, "she's very sweet once you get to know her. And the same goes for Will."

"Now _that_ I don't believe," said Liz.

"No, really, he may seem arrogant, but I think he is socially awkward," offered Jane. "He just doesn't know how to present himself."

"Says the person who has never said a cruel word about anybody," retorted Liz. "Seriously, no girl wants to be in the same room, let alone country as someone who called her 'decent enough,' so how can you tell me this same guy who insulted me is misunderstood instead of condescending and prideful?"

"I want to know why you care so much what he thinks of you," Jane challenged. "You've never given the slightest concern before of what people thought."

As Liz was pondering this, Lydia burst into the room. Her skin was already several shades darker than when they'd first arrived. Liz asked her where she'd been and her younger sister happily dived into her story of how Danny had taken her snorkeling to one of the nearby reefs. He'd then taken her to lunch on Palm Isle before swimming in the pool for a few more hours. Liz and Jane learned that Danny was in the Navy and was on leave visiting an old friend who used to serve with him. Lydia eagerly added that she was meeting them at the Raw Bar after the member's event at Palm Isle had finished.

"You both should come!" Lydia eagerly added. "I'd like for you to meet Danny. You'll love him!"

"I would love to, Lydia," said Jane, "but Chris asked me to dinner and a movie tonight after drinks."

"Liz?" egged Lydia.

"Sure," she agreed after a few moments. Lydia shrieked in joy and tackled her onto the bed in a hug. "This is going to be the best night ever!"

Lydia quickly jumped up and said she would start getting ready. As she approached the door, Liz noticed her unsteady walk. She wondered how many drinks her sister already had that afternoon. It was going to be a long night.

"We should get ready too, Liz," said Jane as she began rising from the bed.

"Yes. But first, I want to know what else you aren't telling me," Liz teased. "Two dates in one day? I do believe that is a record." Jane blushed and began modestly telling her more details about her "fondness" for Chris.

* * *

Liz avoided Will Darcy at Palm Isle, which wasn't all that hard considering he stood off to the side of the patio the entire time, scowling at the water. Whenever she happened to glance his way however, she noticed him observing her. Though as soon as he saw her acknowledging him, he quickly broke eye contact and faced the water once more. He was probably just critiquing her decent looks again. With that in mind, Liz turned up her nose each time and pretended to be overly invested in whatever conversation she was a part of.

Caroline approached her at one point and they had a somewhat pleasant chat, but Liz still got the impression she secretly wanted to either throw her fruity drink on her or slap her across the face. Chris was his normal friendly self and Mrs. Bennet took every opportunity to either talk with him or brag to her brother and sister-in-law about Jane's good luck. Her mother did also try to strike up with a conversation with Will at one point, but after being his normal cold self for several minutes, she walked away, stating quite loudly how rude Will was and that he could learn a lot from Chris. Georgiana, Lydia, and Liz spent most of the night together. Liz ended up inviting Georgiana to the bar with them afterwards but she declined, saying she already had plans with Will. Liz automatically glanced over at him and he once again had his eyes fixated on her.

Despite having consumed two drinks at the member's event, Liz quickly ordered another as soon as she and Lydia walked into the bar. They arrived earlier than expected and managed to find a table by a window overlooking the water channel. Liz loved the feeling of the bar. The rich wood had various scratches and writing decorated the walls from where people wrote notes about their time there- nothing like the typical Club ambiance. Liz could see one couple close by hunting for their message from their last visit. Since the bar was within walking distance to the private airstrip, wall space quickly filled up. Some days people just flew in to have a quick bite to eat and sign the wall before flying home.

Liz nursed the bottle in her hand and looked out the window. The sun had just set and the sky was fading from a light blue to a deep navy. She loved this time of day. It grew slightly cooler and it seemed as if the entire world was resetting itself.

"Danny!" Lydia called suddenly. She waved towards a blonde man sporting a buzz cut. He seemed laidback despite the rigidity of the military and he had a boyish face that lit up upon locating her sister. Walking behind him was a taller man, and Liz guessed he could not be more than a year or two older than herself. He was broader than Danny, but had a charming face and dark wavy hair. His blue eyes focused on her. He stuck out his hand as they approached the table.

"Gale Wick," he said, his eyes lighting up.

"I'm Elizabeth Bennet," she said, placing her hand in his, "but you can call me Liz."

"I actually prefer Elizabeth," he said with a mischievous smile. "If you don't mind."

"Not at all," Liz responded, immediately captivated buy Danny's friend.

"And Liz, this is Danny," said Lydia, indicating the man beside her. He shook her hand as well before leaning back in his seat and casually draping his arm on the back of Lydia's chair. Lydia shot her an enthusiastic smile.

"So, Gale," Liz began, "Lydia tells me you work at The Club."

"Yes, I have been lucky enough to find a position here."

"Do you like it?"

"Work is work, Elizabeth," Gale responded. They all chuckled. The waitress came by then and took the drink order for the guys. As they waited or her to return, Gale animatedly detailed many stories about club guests. From spoiled children to ensuring drunk guests didn't fall into the pool, it seemed Gale had seen it all. He even said he once saved a stranded guest who got caught in the mangroves.

The waitress returned, placing beers in front of the two men. After taking their food order, she walked away once more.

"I was thinking of kayaking tomorrow," stated Elizabeth in Gale's direction. "Where should I go? I was thinking the mangroves."

"Yes," he agreed. "The mangroves and canals behind the houses is nice. If you're looking to get great scenery however I recommend the mangroves. You can paddle right up to them and in the still waters you can see the fish swimming below you and different birds in the trees. If you want some company, I am actually free tomorrow."

"That would be great," responded Liz, happy to be seeing him again. "My own personal tour guide."

"I have actually done that too," he added proudly.

Lydia ordered another drink, against Liz's protests, and began peppering Danny with questions until their food arrived. Liz learned Danny enlisted in the Navy fresh out of high school. He currently worked as an electronics technician and had served with Gale up until a year ago.

"What happened?" inquired Liz. "If you don't mind me asking."

"No, not at all," said Gale suavely. "I was actually dishonorably discharged after a misunderstanding while we were in one of our ports."

Liz did not know much about military regulations, but she did know that dishonorable discharges were not given lightly.

"I won't bore you with the details," he continued, "but in short, they needed a guy to take the fall, and I happened to be lucky one to pull the short straw. I lost my veteran benefits and let me say it's hard to find work with that on your resume."

"I'm sorry," Liz said sincerely.

"There's good and bad in everything, Elizabeth," he said good-humoredly, "but it's up to you whether you're going to dwell on what could have been or have a positive outlook for what is to come."

"To positive outlooks and new friendships," said Liz raising her glass. The others mimicked her and clinked them together with a cheer.

Gale placed his glass down and leaned back, resting his arm on the back of Liz's seat. She leaned in towards him. Peeking up, she shot him a shy smile. They maintained eye contact until Gale suddenly looked towards the bar. His face fell.

Liz followed his gaze until it landed on his person of interest. There stood Will at the edge of the bar talking with a waitress. They handed him a bag of food and he turned, catching her eye. He eyebrows raised in surprise upon spotting her. His gaze flickered to her right and they quickly furrowed, his mouth forming a hard line.

Liz glanced up at Gale and noticed his face now resembled Will's. They both continued to glare at each other for some time before Will took a step towards them. Thinking better of it, however, he instead shot her a concerned look and walked out the front door.

"Do I want to know what that was about?" she whispered, happy Lydia and Danny were too wrapped up in their own private conversation to notice what transpired.

"You recall me mentioning being the fallout guy?"

Liz nodded.

"He is one of the lucky people I have to thank for that," Gale responded, his words seeping with hatred.

"Well I don't doubt Will is capable of snubbing those not on his social stature," said Liz.

"So you know him?" Gale asked tensely.

"Unfortunately. We met yesterday and he has already made it to the top of my Rudest People I Know list," she teased, hoping to ease the tension. "He's so arrogant and conceited."

"Well, Elizabeth, I do believe we found yet another thing in common."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lydia remained behind from church the next morning. When she came out of her room, they had already returned and were just beginning to fill their plates with the various brunch options Val had tediously prepared. The scent of bacon, freshly baked muffins, egg casserole, and coffee filled the air.

"Oh! How are you feeling, dear?" Mrs. Bennet asked her youngest daughter. "Here let me make you a plate." She began fussing about the room, getting all of Lydia's favorite foods onto a plate. Lydia moaned and asked her mother to talk quieter as she dropped with a thud into the closest chair, her head falling into her hands. "Does it have to be so bright in here?" she mumbled.

Liz suppressed a chuckle from where she stood by the counter.

"How was your night?" Jane quietly asked as she stepped up next to her and scooped some fruit out of a bowl, placing it on her plate.

"Very good," Liz responded, unable to stop the smile gradually spreading over her face. "And yours? I noticed what time you snuck in."

Elizabeth shot her a wry smirk, making Jane blush.

"Nothing happened," retorted Jane. Elizabeth scoffed and halted her movements, the spoon in her hand stopping midair. Her eyebrows rose reflexively as she glanced unbelievingly at her sister. "I'm serious, Lizzy," Jane insisted. "We just talked… That's it. And don't think I didn't notice your smile just now. You must have had quite the night."

"I'll just say Danny's friend Gale left a very memorable impression," said Liz modestly as she continued scooping some scrambled eggs onto her plate.

"And this is coming from my cynical sister," teased Jane. "Watch out Liz or you might turn into a romantic."

"Not likely," responded Liz. "You know what I think of men."

"That they're 'either conceited, ignorant, or both," Jane quoted.

"Precisely."

"Well they aren't all like that, Lizzy."

"Jane, as I have said before, you have never had an unkind thought in your life," countered Liz, "so of course you're going to say they aren't all bad."

Jane smiled sweetly. "I predict," she said, "that some guy will catch your eye or, dare I say, one may already have." She playfully nudged Liz. "And then you'll eat your words."

Liz was about to retort when her uncle asked if she was interested in going to the range the next morning in Florida City. They had a Fourth of July special for locals and he had a new pistol he wanted to try out. Liz eagerly accepted.

Charlotte had taken her to the range near their campus a few years ago and she had been addicted to shooting ever since. She was now the proud owner of several pistols and went regularly to the range with her roommate. She had become quite accurate, almost always hitting the bullseye, and secretly she loved showing up the males in the lanes next to her. Not to mention, it was the perfect way to relieve stress after a tiring week of classes.

She sat down next to her uncle at the table and eagerly talked guns, happy to have something to discuss with her kindhearted uncle. Her mother, on the other hand, shouted in her direction from across the table that guns were not for females, which just earned a an eye roll from Liz and a groan from Lydia. Her father sat opposite her and when he changed the topic to the day's fishing outing, Liz zoned out. Thankfully, Jane commanded her attention once more.

"What are your plans for the day?" her sister asked quietly, knowing their mother would want to hear should she get wind of their chosen topic of conversation.

"Gale is taking me kayaking through the mangroves near Palm Isle," responded Liz trying not to sound too excited.

"That sounds like fun," Jane responded, her eyes lighting up.

Elizabeth smiled and asked if Jane was meeting Chris again.

"Yes," she admitted. "Is it sad I want to spend every waking moment with him? I mean we just met but it feels like I've known him forever, you know? He's just so thoughtful and kind. Like this afternoon, for instance, he wants to take me for a flight in his plane, but wanted to ensure I felt comfortable enough to go. After I assured him I was not claustrophobic or prone to motion sickness he began looking at where we could go. I think he decided on Key West since I have never seen the 0 mile marker."

"That's sweet of him. I didn't know he was a pilot," Liz said, taking her last bite of food.

"Yes, him and Will both," confirmed Jane. "Chris said it was one of the best decisions he ever made and for a while he wanted to make a career out of it."

Liz felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. Pulling it out, she found a text from Gale and frowned upon reading it.

 _Elizabeth I can't make it something's come up. Raincheck? -G_

She released a disappointed sigh and stuck her phone back into her pocket before rising from the table, ignoring Jane's questioning look. Grabbing her now empty plate, she walked into the kitchen and deposited it into the sink. She was about to begin rinsing it off when Val shouted from the table for her to leave it and go enjoy her day. Liz was about to protest when Val insisted again.

Knowing it would offend her aunt to continue cleaning, Liz began slowly walking to her room, wondering what she should do with her afternoon. Jane would be off with Chris soon and Lydia was in no mood to enjoy the bright sunshine on Palm Isle with her.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked, coming up behind her.

"Gale cancelled on me," she said, only letting a little disappointment show.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Liz. If you want to join me and Chris I am sure he has enough room for both of us to go. Or, I could even cancel my plans with him and we can…"

"No," Liz said interrupting her. "You go enjoy your time with Chris. I will just go read on Palm Isle. Maybe swim some laps. Enjoy the fresh, salty air."

"Are you sure?" Jane persisted.

"Yes, very sure. You both have fun."

"Ok. It's probably for the best anyway," commented Jane after a brief pause. "Chris told me that Gale and Will have some sort of troubled history. Apparently Gale's actions got him discharged from the Navy."

"Yes, Gale told me about his past," retorted Liz automatically, feeling defensive. "Out of the pair, I'm prone to trust Gale over Will. Gale has been nothing but honest and upfront with me."

"I just want you to be careful," said Jane rationally. "Will may not be your favorite person, but you can't argue about Chris' character. He would never befriend someone who was so immoral."

"I guess you are right…" Liz said reluctantly. "But it still doesn't change my mind about them."

"I didn't think it would," said Jane. "I just hoped you may see it from a different point of view."

A melodic tune began playing from where Jane's phone was charging on the nightstand. She read the new text message and eagerly stated Chris was outside waiting for her. Saying goodbye, she grabbed her bag and left the room.

Liz let out a frustrated moan and toppled onto the bed. She was more disappointed than she hoped she let on. Maybe she had misread things last night between her and Gale and he cancelled not because something actually came up but because he didn't want her thinking it was a date. She thought for sure he had been blatantly been flirting with her. Lydia had even remarked on it as she was trying to sneak her into the house late last night. But why did she care so much? She was only here for a few more days and needed to make the most of her break.

Getting up, she quickly changed into her bathing suit, swim trunks, and water shoes before making her way into the living room. Lydia lounged on the sofa, the television on mute with subtitles and a blue blanket draped over her body.

"Where is everyone?" Liz asked her.

"Jane left with Chris and everyone else went for a ride in the golf cart," said Lydia. "I think mom secretly wanted to follow them and see his plane for herself."

Liz chuckled.

"I am going to Palm Isle to kayak," said Liz as she walked to the front door. "I'll be back later."

She stepped into the sun and began the short walk to Palm Isle, determined not to let some guy ruin her weekend.

Liz placed the oar in the water and propelled the kayak forward. She glided through the choppy waters that would lead her towards the mangroves. The sky was overcast now, for which she was happy, since she forgot to apply sunscreen before leaving the house. There was a brisk wind coming from behind her and she knew paddling back would be strenuous. She passed around the tip of Palm Isle and approached the marina inlet. She glanced to her left and right and did not spot any boats coming in or exiting the narrow waterway, so she dipped the paddle in and pushed the kayak forward.

The mangroves sat on the other side of the waterway, opposite Palm Isle. Liz made her way towards one of the small canals that ran through the vegetation. The waters grew calm as she entered within their protective surroundings. Liz looked over the edge of the kayak and into the shallow waters below. She could see the roots twisting into the mushy sea floor. Tiny fish were floating beneath her, and they disappeared into the safety of the roots. She paddled further and saw a turtle sitting on an abandoned log, his little head peaking curiously out of its shell.

She exited the first canal and rowed into the ocean, continuing to paddle parallel to the mangroves. The wind had picked up substantially within the past twenty minutes and the current grew stronger. She worked hard to maintain a safe distance from the mangroves. She could see another canal in the distance and made for it, hoping it would provide some sort of shelter. She glided in as it started raining.

Liz tilted her head up and began laughing hysterically despite the situation. Her stubborn streak _would_ lead her to kayak during a storm. Wiping her hair from her eyes, she glanced up the canal and saw a canopy overhead created by the dense mangroves. She headed towards it, seeing shelter underneath. She continued paddling under the canopy but it eventually deposited her back into the rough ocean.

She heard thunder crack in the sky, and Liz noticed the sky had darkened to an ominous shade of blue. Deciding it was time to make back for shore, Liz began paddling forcefully towards Palm Isle. The risks of staying on the water during a thunderstorm began coming to her mind. She made it halfway back before she needed to take a break. Rainwater had begun filling her kayak, slowing her progress. The wind was pushing her towards the mangroves, and the rain had picked up, making it hard to see even though lightning lit up the sky every few seconds.

She began paddling blindly, trying to use the lights from the tip of Palm Isle as her guide. Eventually she made it near the waterway. Now she just needed to maneuver around the tip of Palm Isle, through a brief stretch of open water, and then to the ramp. From there, she could pull the kayak up onto the beach and make a dash for the covered bar area between the pools.

A horn suddenly sounded to her right and she saw a large powerboat coming up the canal heading right towards her. Thinking they could tow her to shore, Liz laid the oar across her lap and began frantically waving her sore arms in the air. Yelling, she hoped they would stop and be kind enough to offer assistance. The boat slowed and she shielded her eyes, trying to spot the captain, silently praying he wasn't some old creep.

She met a familiar pair of dark eyes. "Liz."

"Will?" Liz said surprised.

"Are you alright?" he yelled over the engine and timely thunder.

"Yes, just a little tired," she hollered back. "I got caught in the storm." _Obviously_.

"Paddle to the aft, and I'll pull you up."

Liz maneuvered the yellow kayak near the platform at the back. Will was already waiting for her by the time she arrived. Grasping onto the edge of her vessel, he told her to roll onto the platform while he held the kayak steady. She followed his instructions and moved onto the safety of his boat. Liz sighed in relief as Will pulled the kayak aboard and tied it off.

Liz removed her life vest and stretched her legs out in front of her, noting how stiff they had become from holding them in a fixed position for so long.

He made his way back and knelt down next to her. "The storm isn't letting up any time soon," he said, his eyes filled with urgency. "We have to head in. Can you stand?"

Will placed an arm around her and helped her up. She noticed his white collared shirt was clinging to his muscled chest and his wet, dark hair fell into his eyes. He pulled her close to him as they maneuvered their way across the swaying boat. Will sat her down in a seat next to the captain's chair and sped the boat towards the other marina.

She must look like a drowned rat, Liz thought, suddenly overcome with embarrassment at her appearance and in general for needing to be rescued. Then, she realized, Will was out alone in this weather too. From his clothes it didn't look like he had been boating, and he had no supplies onboard.

"How did you know I was out here?" she asked. He glanced over, the wind blowing his hair across his face.

"Jane and Bingley had just returned when she got a frantic call from your mom asking if you were with her. After talking with Lydia, Jane put two and two together. I just figured you'd be out this way."

"Oh" she responded, not knowing what else to say. After several quiet moments she inquired, "Where are we going?"

"To my boat," he said matter-of-factly.

"We are on your boat," Liz responded sarcastically.

He turned and stared at her. "My _other_ boat. It's in the marina on the other side of The Club."

Liz still did not fully grasp his meaning, but decided to let the topic drop. She began shivering and wrapped her arms around herself, crouching down to avoid the wind.

"Here," Will said, handing her a hoodie. "I'm sorry I don't have a towel for you."

"Thanks," she said, quickly putting it on, relishing in its warmth.

Several more silent moments passed between the pair with just the engine humming and thunder crashing disturbing their silent thoughts. As they approached the inlet, he slowed the boat down.

"Be careful with my sister," Will suddenly said, his gaze remaining fixated ahead.

"Excuse me?" said Liz, turning to face him and immediately getting defensive.

"She tends to cling to people and get hurt in the end," explained Will. "And I don't want her to…"

Elizabeth cut him off. "Do you think I am intentionally going to hurt her?"

"No. It's just that..."

"Let me explain something to you," said Liz, seething with anger, "I will associate with whoever I want to associate with. Likewise, your sister is her own person. She is an adult and can make her own decisions. You have no right to assume I am befriending her just to spite her, or you, or anyone else for that matter. Your sister is sweet, kindhearted, funny, and honest. Really she's a lot like Jane in many ways, which is possibly why we have befriended each other so quickly. And if you keep isolating her from everyone but your small circle of friends, there may come a day when she wakes up resenting you for it."

During her speech she hadn't noticed the boat slowly approaching a large yacht. Wills face was hardened as he maneuvered the boat through the channel and docked it at the end of the pier. _Pemberley_ she read, recognizing the name from their first day. So he was being modest earlier when he said they were going to his 'other boat.' She glanced up and saw Jane standing on the back of the boat under an overhang.

"Oh, Liz!" Jane shouted happily before stepping into the rain and maneuvering down a spiral staircase.

Elizabeth remained seated as he tied off the boat. As soon as both ropes were in place, she got up and walked towards the back, still seething at his rude assumptions. Stepping up onto the cushioned seat, she prepared to step onto the dock when something grasped her hand. Liz glanced down and saw Will's warm hand enclosed around her own. Despite her state of shock at his assistance, she raised a foot and placed it safely onto the dock.

"Be cautious of Gale," he said quietly, his sincere eyes meeting hers.

She glanced down at him, her eyes narrowing.

"Don't tell me what to do," she said. Yanking her hand back, she lifted her other foot from the rocking boat and onto the safety of the wooden dock.

"Liz!" Jane yelled as she rushed up the dock towards her. Her hair had changed from its normal dirty blonde color to a shade of light brown thanks to the rain. Liz noticed she was barefoot and her mascara was running in lines down her cheeks. Jane took Liz in a tight embrace and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "I was so worried! We heard reports of hail and water spouts in the area and had no idea where you were! When you didn't answer you phone I panicked!"

"I'm fine, Jane," Liz responded. She closed her eyes, hugging her sister tightly, relief flooding her. Spotting Will standing nearby watching them quickly resolved her to shorten their tender reunion, embarrassment overcoming her.

Pulling back, she suggested they head inside as a crack of thunder sounded and shortly thereafter lightening lit up the sky. She began pulling Jane towards the yacht, anxious to get out of the rain, when Jane suddenly halted and turned around.

"Thank you, Will," Jane said sincerely. He offered a curt nod, glanced over at Liz, and then motioned for them to proceed towards _Pemberley_.

Even if Liz had conjured up the nicest yacht her imagination could orchestrate, Will's still would have been better. Every detail, down to the floors and light fixtures, were elegant. Tan upholstery and rich woods greeted her upon stepping through the sliding glass doors. A large flat screen TV occupied part of the wall. Opposite was a large inviting sectional sofa that had white privacy blinds behind it. They were currently closed but Liz could hear the rain still violently hitting the glass. The room had a warm glow from the light fixtures in the ceiling and the plush white carpet beneath her feet was now growing damp. She was just wondering where the staircase at the end of the room led when Georgiana approached her.

"We were so worried, Liz!" she said, giving her a tight hug. "Come, I'll take you to my room and so you can get some dry clothes and take a hot shower."

Liz graciously accepted and she followed her towards the staircase. They descended two floors and walked up a corridor that held several doors. Her bedroom was airier than Liz would have expected. Windows spanned the opposite wall and the entire room was white with light brown wood. A small crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling above the king sized bed and a small sitting area occupied the corner. Georgiana walked into the closet and retuned a few moments later with some dry, folded clothes. Motioning to the en suite bathroom, she told her where to find a towel and graciously said to help herself to anything she could find.

She had never appreciated a hot shower more. Letting the water run over her sore shoulders and legs, she thought back on the past hour. Yes, she was grateful Will had come to rescue her, but he was completely out of line to assume she was intentionally going to hurt her. And his comment about being cautious of Gale? If anything, she should be cautious of him for allowing Gale's military career to be ruined for something he didn't do. But Will had risked his own life to search for her. Not to mention he offered up his sweatshirt… and then there was that awkward moment when he helped her onto the dock… Liz pushed those thoughts aside. No, he was still as arrogant as ever for telling her what she should and shouldn't do.

Stepping out of the steamy air, Liz reached for a towel feeling refreshed. Her bathing suit, shorts, and Will's sweatshirt were still wet when she finished getting ready and she began rummaging through the cabinets searching for a plastic bag.

"Liz? How are you doing?" she heard Georgiana say through the closed door. Walking over, Liz opened it and was surprised to also see Jane with her. She held her cell phone up to her ear and in the silence Liz could hear her their mother's frantic voice.

"Ok mom," Jane said calmly, eyeing her sister. "Yes, she's right here." She held the phone out to Liz and she reluctantly took it.

"Hi mom," Liz said, readying for the backlash. "Yes, I'm fine… No, I didn't know it would storm… Ok… I'm not sure… Yes… Ok hold on, and I will check with her…" Glancing at Jane she said, "Mom wants to know if you have plans with Chris tonight." Liz couldn't figure out why she didn't ask Jane that herself when she was on the phone with her a few seconds ago.

"He mentioned taking me flying later tonight since we couldn't this afternoon but he already has plans for dinner," responded Jane. Their mother, already hearing Jane's response, did not wait for Liz to relay the message. Instead she proceeded to tell them both to come home since the worst of the storm had passed and they had elite dinner plans for that night.

"Yes, mom, we will be home soon," said Liz before quickly hanging up the phone. "Well, it turns out our mother already has plans for us." After explaining the situation to Jane and Georgiana and getting a plastic bag for her wet clothes, Liz and Jane made their way to the living room once again. Chris, wanting to spend more time with Jane no doubt, graciously offered to drive them home. Liz thanked Georgiana one last time and began walking towards the back sliding door. Caroline, who sat in a nearby seat, shot her a scowl. Thankful only one of Chris' sisters was present, she quickly glanced away and met Will's eyes before fixating her gaze ahead, where it was deemed safest.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Liz stood in front of the full-length mirror in their bedroom wearing a tight black halter dress and matching pumps. Her curled brown hair was arranged loosely atop her head with several ringlet strands framing her face. She reached up and adjusted one of the small diamonds in her ear before grabbing her clutch and meeting the rest of the family in the living room. As their aunt instructed, her uncle and father, against his will, were in black tie and all the females wore elegant dresses. Lydia selected a dramatic strapless red number, and Jane a flowy nude empire gown. Both their aunt and mother opted for navy blue, but their mother's choice was more youthful compared to their aunt's selection of a dress and jacket combo.

Mrs. Bennet had taken the girls shopping as soon as they returned, Liz having just enough time to dispense of the bag containing her wet clothes on the floor of her room. Apparently, during Liz's adventures on the water, their aunt and uncle received a last minute invitation for them all to attend a charity gala that evening in one of the elegant ballrooms at The Club. After Mrs. Bennet overheard this opportunity for Lydia and Liz to meet more eligible, young bachelors, she insisted they attend or risk offending her brother and sister-in-law's friend. Club Escalades were waiting for them outside to escort them to the conference center where the gala was being held.

When they arrived, Liz stepped carefully out of the car and wrapped her arm through Jane's, knowing they'd both need assistance walking up the steps. Lydia walked in front of them, strutting confidently in her overly high heels with complete ease. They entered the convention hall and were immediately greeted and handed a program of items available to bid on during the silent auction. Liz scanned the list and was shocked to see the items ranged from moisturizer cream to weeklong trips in the Caribbean. Knowing she was better off keeping what little money she had in her savings account, she glanced up and was met with the most elegant room she had ever seen.

Large white columns lined the sides of the ballroom, with light blue spotlights accentuating their stature. Three dimmed golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, which was also lit in a pale light blue with white dots and stars projected onto it. It was as if she had stepped right back outside. An aisle ran up the middle of the room, leading to the dance floor. Halfway down the aisle sat a black grand piano, where a man in tails sat playing a classical piece Liz was familiar with. Tables with golden chairs were strategically placed on either side of the room. Upon further inspection, she saw they had black tablecloths, gold plates, and more utensils at each setting than Liz knew what to do with. The candle and mirrored centerpieces each housed a number, indicating where the parties were to sit. At the far end was a stage with a musical ensemble preparing for their turn and a wooden dance floor before it. On either side of the dance floor were tables housing the available auction items.

The girls stopped short and Liz heard Jane gasp next to her. "I know…" she said understanding.

"Girls, here are your table cards," said the Aunt Val handing them each a black card that contained their printed names in elegant script.

 _Elizabeth Bennet_

 _Table 12_

"We are unfortunately not all at the same table due to the late notice," their aunt continued apologetically, "but I am sure you will still have a wonderful time. The cars will take you back home if we are unable to find each other afterwards."

She gave each girl a kiss on the cheek and encouraged them to bid on one item each as a gift from their aunt and uncle.

"How awesome is this?!" squealed Lydia. "I'm gonna go find the most expensive item and bid on it!"

"Lydia!" yelled Liz, "We can't take advantage of their generosity. I mean we are already staying here for the weekend."

"I agree," chimed in Jane. "I think it's best if we don't bid, regardless of what we find."

"Agreed," said Liz, eyeing Lydia.

"Fine," Lydia huffed out after a few minutes. "What table are you two at?"

"Twelve," the sisters said.

"Same," said Lydia, handing Jane her place card. "Go find it and scope out the best seats. I'll meet you by the auction tables."

With that, Lydia began maneuvering through the throngs of people towards the other side of the room.

"I seriously can't get over how beautiful it is," said Liz, still looking around.

"Me neither," said Jane with a sigh. Liz noticed the insinuation of sorrow in her voice and glanced worriedly at her. "I'm fine, Liz. I just wish Chris was here."

"Well, even though he isn't, I am," said Liz trying to cheer up her older sister, "and I shall sweep you off your feet. Come one let's go find our table."

She grabbed Jane's hand and located Table 12 near the middle of the room close by the piano. Liz selected a seat that gave her a better view of the piano than the stage and she placed Lydia between her and Jane, knowing they both would have to keep an eye on her. Liz drowned out the chatter and focused on the tune coming from the instrument. Though the player's back was to her, she could tell his hands were flying deftly over the keys from the rapidly growing melody. Liz had played the piano when she was younger, but definitely had not mastered it the way this man clearly had. She was wondering if he would take requests when Jane snapped her out of her reverie.

"I think we should go find Lydia," Jane suggested. "I'm sure she's found the bar by now, and I can use a drink as well."

"I'm right behind you."

Liz followed Jane across the room, trying not to bump into too many people. On the wall behind the columns was an archway leading to another smaller room. Inside were hors d'oeuvres and a large bar that already had crowds of people surrounding it. It took several minutes before the girls had drinks in hand and they then focused on locating their sister. After not spotting her in that room, they maneuvered their way back into the main room and walked in the direction of the auction tables.

They spotted Lydia, drink almost finished, by one of the tables flirting with an older gentleman.

"I'll get her," said Jane before she walked over and saved the man from an already awkward situation.

Liz glanced down at the table to her right, examining one of the large gift baskets available. It contained two bottles of wine, a spa mask, moisturizer, various lotions and a spa gift card. The next item was a single bottle of wine someone had already bid $500 for. Easels held different sized paintings and Liz was surprised to see jewelry even available.

She glanced around, looking for Jane and Lydia, but could not spot either of her sisters.

"Hors d'oeuvre?" a waitress asked, offering her what appeared to be some sort of dainty seafood on the platter.

"No, thank you," Liz responded politely. The lady took her hint and moved on to the next guest.

Thinking they may have moved to the other side of the room, Liz began seeking out the quickest way of reaching her destination. Noticing the couples already slow dancing on the dance floor, she opted to walk through the middle of the room and backtrack to the other side.

She realized her feet were starting to hurt so she took another sip of her drink as she walked, hoping it would help. As Liz approached the piano she heard her name being called in front of her. She glanced around, confused, since it was not the deep voice of her father or uncle. Then she spotted him. There, seated at the piano bench, was Gale.

Liz failed to hide her surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice rising a bit.

He continued playing and answered teasingly, "Did you forget so quickly, Elizabeth? I work here."

"Yes, but I didn't think…"

"That it would be this kind of work?" he said with a smirk, eyeing her for a second before focusing again on the keys in front of him. "It is rare that I clean rooms or fix toilets."

She blushed, knowing he had caught her in her biased assumptions. Taking him in, she noticed his dark hair was slicked back, his black jacket accentuating his features. He looked as handsome and charming as ever.

"I didn't mean to bail today. It's just this came up and…" he let the sentence hang.

"No worries," she responded, wondering why he didn't simply say he had to work instead of leaving it so vague.

He ended the song, his long fingers playing octaves to its conclusion. He smiled and waved thanks to those applauding his talent before facing her.

"I'm free in a little bit. Well, at least until I have to play again later tonight. Save me a dance?"

"Is that allowed?" she asked teasingly, unsure of how this guest-employee barrier was making her feel.

"What are they going to do?" Gale asked. "Fire me over once dance? Not likely. Besides, they need me later or they'd have to pay the orchestra double. I'll come find you."

He faced the piano once more and began playing a more popular piece. Liz took the hint and carried on in search for her sisters.

She spotted Lydia's vibrant red dress and it looked like Jane was standing next to her, talking to someone, but the column blocked her field of vision. Liz walked up, ready to tell their mother to leave them be and enjoy her evening but instead met the familiar faces of Chris and Caroline Bingley.

"Elizabeth!" Chris said cheerfully upon noticing her standing behind Jane and Lydia. "Your sisters said you were around here somewhere. What a coincidence that we should all have the same plans for tonight. You look like you have recovered after your… adventure this afternoon."

"Yes," piped up Caroline, "we can't all pull _that_ look off like you can."

Liz shot her a stony glare. She could hear Jane take in a breath, ready to change the topic of conversation when another joined the party.

"Here's your wine, Care," said Will, handing her a glass. She slowly wrapped her manicured fingers around the drink and moved her left hand possessively into the crook of his arm. Liz thought she could detect a hint of irritation in his face until his eyes met hers. They widened in shock before examining her, moving downward and then traveling up again. She immediately glanced away, still embarrassed at their encounter earlier that day.

"Jane, Liz, Lydia," he said, "pleasure to see you all again."

"And you as well," Jane answered politely for the three of them. "I do not see your sister. Is she coming tonight?"

"No," Will answered. "She isn't feeling well."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Liz, mentally noting to text Georgiana later that evening to see how she was feeling.

He offered her something that resembled a forced smile.

"Will," cooed Caroline, "I think it's time for a dance."

She placed her drink on a nearby table and dragged Will to the dance floor. Chris eyed Jane questioningly and she eagerly placed her hand in his before making their way to the front of the room as well. Lydia spotted some guy she had met at the pool the day before and soon Liz stood by herself.

With a sigh, she began scanning the other auction items, just to seem less pathetic than she felt. She crossed over to a table with signed sports memorabilia and a signed guitar by a famous singer she recognized. Past the guitar was an encased item that caught her eye: a first edition of her favorite novel. Her eyes opened with in shock and her hand reached instinctively forward and stroked the glass. Glancing down, the highest bid was already at $10,000. _There goes that dream_ , she thought, dropping her hand and taking a sip of her drink, feeling uneasy being around someone who could drop $10,000 on a book.

The piano music ended and an elderly woman took the stage, lightly tapping the microphone to ensure it was on.

"Welcome everyone to the 10th annual Charity Dinner and Silent Auction," she said, the crowd giving her a round of applause. "For those who don't know me, I am Vivian Van der Burg, and it is my honor to host tonight's event. Please continue to socialize and don't forget to stop by the auction tables. Dinner will be served momentarily but, in the meantime, find your way to the dance floor and enjoy the music."

The orchestra took their cue and began playing an upbeat tune. Couples covered the floor, smiling and singing along to the well-known song. Liz began humming as well.

"Elizabeth!"

She groaned and turned to see her mother approaching, a man trailing closely behind her. His dark hair appeared greasy, not because of product but rather from a lack of hygiene. The sleeves of his jacket appeared to be several inches too long and when he was standing before her, he was shorter than her, and she guessed, even without her heels on.

"Elizabeth," said her mother, smiling brilliantly and motioning towards the mysterious man, "this is Mr. Milan Collins. This is my daughter, Elizabeth Bennet."

Milan pushed his glasses higher onto his nose and reached his hand out. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Bennet," he said, his nasally voice was surprisingly lower than she expected. Liz reluctantly placed her hand within his and his clammy hand engulfed hers.

"Liz," she corrected, quickly relinquishing her hand.

"Milan is the principal of a prestigious school in New York," added her mother.

"Mr. Collins," he corrected her. With his curt correction Elizabeth could only imagine how he treated those at his school.

"I apologize," her mother groveled. "Anyways, I was admiring one of the paintings of New York City when _Mr. Collins_ happened to come up and tell me that the scene was only a few blocks over from where he actually worked. Before you know it, I was telling him how my one daughter wished to teach English as a second language. It just so happens he has a lot of international students."

"Liz, perhaps you would care to take this conversation onto the dance floor?" Milan encouraged.

"Oh! No!" Liz quickly responded, not wanting to give him any ideas. Anyways, she was waiting for Gale to come and find her now that he did not have to play anymore.

"Yes," said her mother, taking the glass from her hand. "I insist."

* * *

When she was younger, Liz always dreamt of what it would be like to be Cinderella. Not at the beginning of the story granted, but later on. After the fairy godmother had used all her magic to turn the pumpkin into a coach, the tatters into a gown, and the slippers into glass. Secretly, she would put on music, steal her mother's dresses and heels and dance around her room, pretending to be dancing with the handsome prince in the castle ballroom.

Dancing across from Milan Collins now, however, was a far cry from the romantic idealism she held as a child. She learned a long time ago that fairytales were just that- fairytales. In reality, the good girl did not always get the handsome prince or, at the very least, a beautiful pair of shoes. And thank goodness she had already learned that lesson or this night would have been such a disappointment.

What Milan lacked in social skills he equally lacked in dance ability. He had no rhythm and was swaying quickly from side to side like a pendulum, the lively music begging for him to catch up. The worst part was that she was forced to participate in this embarrassing display as well since he held both her hands in his, locking her into his awkward rhythm.

"So you're a teacher?" he inquired.

"Grad student for now," she replied.

"Oh. I remember those days; the naiveté of the pupil and the brilliance of the educator. Are you almost finished?"

"Yes," she responded, not wanting to give him the impression she enjoyed him prying into her life.

"Do you have any experience teaching?" he asked while trying to spin her. After stepping on her foot, he thought better of the decision and went back to the awkward swaying.

"Some."

"Well, most schools want to see internships and volunteer hours in the classroom to even make someone eligible for a position. That's something you may want to consider."

"Thank you, Milan, but I have all the hours my university requires to graduate."

"Well, if you ever wish to increase those hours," he said, "you're welcome to come teach in New York for me."

He did not even wait for a reply before continuing. "Doesn't this room look lovely tonight? Vivian Van der Burg is my school's most generous donor, and every event she hosts is flawless. She hosted an event just like this for my school and all the parents came. Her picture with me was even on the front of that month's newsletter. Everyone said it was the highlight of the year. She has, you know, on many occasions, praised my school as being the best for international students in the whole of New York."

Liz was formulating a sarcastic reply when someone asked, "May I cut in?"

Turning, Liz saw Gale standing next to her. _Finally_ , she thought.

Mr. Collins hesitantly let Gale steal his dance partner and sauntered discretely off the floor.

"You have impeccable timing," said Liz, moving her hand to his shoulder.

"It's another one of my great qualities," he responded, taking her other hand in his. "I can sense when a damsel is in distress."

Liz laughed. Gale proved to be an excellent dancer, unlike her previous partner. He twirled her with ease, and she followed his lead with complete effortlessness. When the song changed to a slow melody, he drew her close, placing both hands on the small of her back.

"So, where did you learn to play the piano like that?" Liz asked him, her hands wrapped around his neck, relishing the warmth of his closeness.

"My mother," he replied with a smile. "She traveled performing in concerts all over the U.S. and Western Europe. She always teased I got the best deal: my dad's looks and her piano skills."

Liz chuckled. "Does she still play?" she asked.

His face grew solemn before replying, "No, she died three years ago."

"Oh. I'm so sorry."

"And your father?" she pressed.

"They were both killed in a car accident," he said. "Drunk driver."

Elizabeth was at a loss of what to say, instead she held him a bit tighter. They danced quietly until the song ended. As the lady from earlier made her way back onto the stage, Gale told her he had to make his way back to the piano, but would try and steal her away for another dance after the food had been served and the orchestra resumed. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek before walking away, leaving her alone on the floor.

"If everyone would please take their seats," announced Vivian, "dinner will be served shortly."

Liz turned and began making her way back to her chair. Gale was already playing a classical tune by the time she sat down next to Lydia. Jane and Chris made their way over to their table, Jane excitedly exclaiming that he was at their table as well. Liz had just realized what that meant when Caroline and Will approached. She quickly glanced at the place card on the plate next to her. To her dismay, it said "William Darcy, II."

* * *

The full course dinner was the most delicious Elizabeth had ever tasted. The menu included shrimp, which Liz graciously relinquished to Lydia, a fresh, crisp salad, steak that melted in her mouth, and chocolate painted éclairs for dessert. Each course was spaced perfectly, allowing enough time for food to digest and make room for the next stage. Halfway through the meal, Lydia had even leaned over to say that it was the best meal she ever had and was "totally worth missing the bonfire at Palm Isle for."

Darcy had been surprising civil during the hour and a half long meal. Granted, his attention was mostly commanded by Caroline the entire time, which Liz didn't mind one bit. He did wordlessly offer her his spare fork though after her last one was accidentally knocked to the floor by Lydia, but he diverted his attention right back to Caroline afterwards.

Liz watched Jane and Chris quietly talking at the other end of the table for most of the evening. She looked genuinely happy and Liz hoped it would last after they went back to reality. Watching Chris and Jane, she saw the possibility of a future together. They complimented each other and already shared many of the same mannerisms despite their short time together.

All throughout dinner, Gale played tune after tune on the piano, gaining polite applause from the audience. Liz snuck looks in his direction now and then, admiring his strong back and the way he rocked to the music he was creating.

The orchestra resumed playing after dinner and guests rose, making their way to the dance floor to work off some of the food. Chris automatically rose, taking Jane's hand in his as he stated they were going to browse the auction tables. Lydia ran off to find the guy she was dancing with earlier and Liz was debating what to do when she felt a tap on her left shoulder.

"Miss Bennet," said the familiar deep voice of Milan Collins. Elizabeth showed a pained expression to the table before turning his way. "I was hoping that we might finish the dance that was interrupted earlier."

Her eyes widened, and Liz tried to think of some excuse, when she heard a voice clear and say, "Actually, Liz promised me a dance, sir."

Liz turned and stared wide eyed at Will, who was still watching Milan as he rose, took Liz's hand, and escorted her to the dance floor.

She was still in shock as she placed her other hand on his shoulder. When she found her voice, he was equally surprised for the first words out of her mouth.

"Thank you for that."

He glanced down at her and chuckled. After seeing her confused face, he explained, "You thank me after I save you from a dance, not when I save you from the ocean during a storm. You're definitely unique, Elizabeth Bennet."

"I don't know whether I should take that as a compliant or not," she responded honestly.

"Take it however you want," he said staring down at her.

"We don't have to keep dancing," Liz said. "Besides, I'm sure your girlfriend doesn't appreciate it."

He furrowed his brows and stopped dancing for a moment before catching himself. "Girlfriend?"

"Yes, Caroline," she clarified.

"Caroline isn't my girlfriend."

"Oh," said Liz surprised. "But I thought…"

"She is an acquaintance and the sister of my best friend. That's all," he said matter-of-factly.

They let silence break over them once more. Liz then realized Will had not once stepped on her feet. He was more graceful than she anticipated, moving them across the dance floor with complete ease this entire time. Glancing around, she noticed Caroline fuming by one of the auction tables, her narrow eyes fixated on them.

Liz shrugged it off and instead took this opportunity to discretely examine Will up close. With certain movements she could take in the scent of his rich aftershave. His brown eyes were alert, aware of where they were in comparison to the rest of the dancers on the floor, and Liz noticed specks of gold in them when the lighting was just right. She could even see his five o'clock shadow growing along his jawline. Despite all that, however, he still possessed the haughtiness she experienced the first day she met him. Regardless of how he chose to act though she refused to come off as unappreciative and prideful.

"I am grateful by the way," Liz suddenly said. His eyes met hers. "For you rescuing me," she clarified. "I am grateful. And I am sorry I did not say so before."

"It was nothing," Will replied as the orchestra played their last notes.

They stood there awkwardly before Liz quickly turned and walked away. Her mother unfortunately intercepted her on the way to the bar.

"Liz!" she practically squealed. "I must say I was disappointed when Milan Collins came back to our table so quickly after declaring he was asking you for another dance. But when I saw you were with William Darcy instead I could not help but be proud. Chris for Jane and Will for you, you both will be set up for life!"

Liz was horrified and prayed the throngs of people around her were too focused on their own conversations to be eavesdropping on her tipsy mother. Her aunt was approaching, and Liz decided to make a hasty getaway. She turned around and stopped short, however, for before her was William Darcy. He had followed her and overheard every word.

He stood there silently, staring at her; his eyes focusing on her, and then her mother, and then back on her. She opened her mouth to say something, give some excuse for her mother's behavior, but his head shifted to the right and his eyes narrowed. Liz looked towards the main door and saw Gale entering; no doubt he was coming to find her for one more dance.

Will turned his eyes back on her and then walked briskly towards the door, grasping Gale by the lapels on his way out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Really," Liz could hear her mother murmur under her breath, "how rude. To walk over and say nothing to us at all before turning and walking away. At the very least he could have asked if we were enjoying ourselves. You may want to change your mind about that William Darcy, Elizabeth. No manners or social graces."

Her mother's prattling turned into a low hum as Elizabeth replayed the last several minutes in her head, trying to figure out what was happening. Why had Will followed her? At first it looked like he was going to say something but once he had followed her gaze towards where Gale stood in the doorway, she felt the moment fall away. She embarrassingly remembered staring up at Will's dark hair, noticing how soft it looked. The five o'clock shadow revealed a stronger jaw line than she originally saw. As if sensing her eyes on his jaw, it hardened, and he turned back to face her. After scanning her face once more, he exhaled deeply and marched over to Gale. Did she imagine that look of hurt in his eyes? And she thought she saw Will grasp Gale's jacket.

Ignoring the questions that now came from both her mother and aunt, she made for the doorway without a word. What had Will wanted to say? Did he overhear her mother? And was Will saying to Gale? Was he telling him to stay away from her because she clearly hadn't listened to his warning from that afternoon?

Liz broke out the front door and glanced around when she reached the top of the steps. Squinting into the dark night, she tried to make out their forms without any luck. Liz cautiously walked down the steps and towards the marina that ran along the side of the building. Her feet were aching and she wished she could take off her shoes or change into something more comfortable, but she pressed on, her curiosity always getting the better of her.

Liz had just turned around to explore near the parking lot when she heard someone taunt, "What are you going to do? Hit me?"

Running past a line of shrubberies and two more docks, she stopped, seeing the two dark silhouettes standing near the end of the marina. The tension was thick, both of their bodies hard and standing too close, sizing each other up.

"Oh, you would just love that wouldn't you?" she heard Will respond with a harshness that didn't become him. "You need to leave or I will report you."

"I have done nothing wrong," Gale shot back.

"I can think of a number of things," Will retorted. "Would you like me to refresh your memory?"

She saw Gale's gaze travel over Will's shoulder towards her. He smirked in her direction before turning his harsh glance back at Will. Taking a step closer, he murmured something out of her ear reach. Immediately, Will's face turned darker and his fist shot forward, making contact with Gale's eye, the impact sending Gale tumbling to the ground.

Liz began running towards them, her toes aching with every step.

Will kneeled down next to Gale and managed to get one more punch in before Liz reached them.

"Stop!" she yelled. Will's arm paused in midair.

She knelt down next to Gale, placing one hand on his chest and the other gently on his face. His left eye was swollen shut and blood was dripping from his mouth and the cut above his eyebrow.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, angrily eyeing Will.

"Yes, I'm fine," Gale responded, quickly getting up. He spit blood onto the ground and eyed Will angrily before walking away. She made to walk with him, but he whispered that it was probably best he just head back inside, ice his face, and get back to work. Running a hand along her cheek, he made back for the back entrance.

Liz stood in stunned silence, watching his figure disappear around the corner. She stared into the darkness until she felt someone's scrutinizing gaze upon her. She was I immediately reminded of Will's presence. Liz started fuming.

"What he heck was that about?" she demanded, eyes narrowing.

"It doesn't concern you," Will responded bluntly. He made to walk away, but she placed her hand on his arm, stopping him. No way was he getting off that easily.

"Look," she continued, staring up at him, "I don't know what has passed between you two, but _nothing_ gives you the right to punch someone just because you don't like them or because they aren't up to your social stature."

His eyes scanned her face indifferently as she continued.

"I don't expect someone as prejudiced and arrogant as you to understand, but where I come from, there is no excuse for doing what you just did. He did nothing."

"My warning to you to stay away from him was not unwarranted," he finally said.

"Well he wasn't the one throwing punches," Liz quickly retorted. "In fact, based on what I've seen and been told, _you're_ the one that should come with a warning label."

He stood there for a few more minutes eyeing her before walking away without another word.

Never had a man infuriated her so much as Will did. She caught him punching Gale for no reason and he stood there with no explanation. What's worse, he was acting like it was completely justifiable. And on top of everything, she didn't get any answers to the millions of questions she had.

"Ugh!" Liz shouted skyward before turning on her heels and heading back towards the main building. Never had her life been so complicated.

* * *

"Hitting him?" Jane clarified after hearing Liz's account of what had occurred.

They sat on Jane's bed in their bedroom, each in their pajamas. Liz leaned against the headboard while Jane sipped tea next to her.

"Yes, Jane!" Liz responded, throwing her hands up to emphasize her point. "Hitting him. Who knows what shape Gale would have been in if I hadn't shown up."

"Oh! And to top it off," Liz continued, "You know when Will helped me earlier?"

"Helped?" teased Jane, cocking her head to the side in mock confusion.

"Fine…" Liz relinquished. "When Will _saved_ me earlier. While we were on our way back to shore he warned me to stay away from Gale. Oh the irony…"

She sat contemplating for a few seconds before adding, "Did you hear that Gale's parents were both killed by a drunk driver three years ago?"

Jane's hand flew to her mouth in shock before responding in the negative. Liz always admired her sister's compassionate nature. Jane could feel instant sympathy towards anyone and to Liz's never-ending surprise it was always genuine.

"To have to endure that…" Jane let the though trail off. "How is Gale?"

"He's ok," Liz responded, reaching for her phone and scrolling through the texts she had received from him not too long ago. "He said nothing is broken but he is definitely going to have a black eye."

She enlarged a picture Gale had sent to her and held it up for Jane to see.

"How awful!" she shrieked. "I can't believe Will would do something like this. Chris always said he was quiet and reserved, nothing like the man you saw last night."

"Appearances can be deceiving," retorted Liz.

"Yes they can," agreed Jane.

"Well, be assured, if something like this happens again, Will is getting more than just a tongue lashing from me," Liz threatened.

"Liz…" Jane cautioned.

She rolled her eyes at her sister's warning.

"Maybe he's gay," she said wonderingly after a few quiet moments.

Jane choked on her tea and began laughing at the notion.

"Why would you say that?" she croaked out.

"Think about it Jane," she said, seeing things clearer now. "He barely bats an eye in Caroline's direction, despite her constant flirting. And his confrontation with Gale could have been his rejecting him. Not to mention he dances too well."

"Dancing is hardly a viable excuse," Jane countered. "Besides, he said you were 'decent enough.' I'd hardly think a gay man would talk about a female like that."

"Fine," Liz said, "Then he's bi."

Jane sighed exasperatedly.

"But you have to admit it is a definite possibility," Liz said with a smile. "Anyways, I'm sick of talking about Will. Tell me how the rest of your evening went with Chris."

Jane blushed before producing modest details of what Liz had missed, including some of the silent auction winners, her dances with Chris, and a romantic walk ending with Jane agreeing to a morning flight with Chris the next day.

* * *

Liz raised her 9mm to eye level, released the safety, and fired, making a tight grouping on the bullseye.

"You've gotten better, Liz," her uncle yelled over the bullet fire coming from the other lanes.

She beamed at him and began loading more rounds. This was exactly what she needed. There was nothing like shooting at something to de-stress and ease the tension she had felt since last night. Pausing, she watched her father unload again into his target in the lane next to them. She finished refilling the magazine and brought the target in to switch. Moving her uncle's target to his preferred yardage, she stepped back. Her uncle took his stance and shot. As she expected, his were tighter, more centrally located around the bullseye than hers had been. His abilities never ceased to amaze her, but then again he had been shooting since he was 12 years old. They had been at the range for 20 minutes so far and he had barely strayed from the red bullseye in the center of his target. He refilled the magazine and began shooting again.

Curiously, she took in the other shooters as her uncle loaded the next clip for her. The indoor range was much smaller than she was used to and a lot darker, but, thanks in part to them, almost all five lanes were filled. An older woman who could have passed as her grandmother stood two lanes over and another gentleman had his son with him. She could tell the younger boy hadn't been before by the detailed instructions his father was giving him. The boy apprehensively aimed the unloaded gun downrange, getting the feel of it, his eyes blinking instinctively every time a shot sounded around him.

She smiled and turned back to her uncle in time to see him finish moving her target downrange and stepping back so she could take his place. Blowing away a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, she zeroed in on one of the smaller targets on the top right and fired, hitting the paper exactly where she wanted them to go. She promptly emptied the rest of the rounds and beamed, proud of all the progress she had made since first starting.

"Nice shooting," said a muffled voice behind her.

She planed her gun down and turned, expecting to meet her uncle's eyes, but instead came face to face with Will. Her smile fell. He wore black ear protection and she could see his eyes darting between her target behind her and her face. Her eyes grew wide, unable to hide the shock plaguing her face. Why did he have to be here? Of all places. She felt the tension immediately return to her body.

"Thanks," she mumbled before turning her back to him, not caring if he heard her.

Reaching for the box of ammo, she began reloading. He continued walking and she breathed a sigh of relief.

She could hear the muffled conversation of her father and uncle in the lane beside her and anticipated they would be occupied testing each other's new weapons for a while. She decided to fill up the magazine completely, using the rest of her ammo.

"Listen," Will began, standing behind her once more, "about last night…"

Liz didn't want to hear any more. She let out a deep sigh and loaded her gun. Raising her weapon, she unloaded into her target once more. The sound silenced him for now, but Liz knew all too soon she would have no bullets left, and he would make another attempt.

Deciding she wouldn't give him the chance, she began packing up as soon as her magazine was empty. She had paid for the entire hour, but she didn't care. Stuffing the remaining bullets and her cleared weapon into her bag, she pushed past Will and stormed out the door after getting the keys from her uncle.

Breaking into the sunshine, she stormed to the small SUV and opened the trunk. Placing her bag in the trunk, she realized she hadn't even bothered to remove her ear or eye protection. Leaning into the car, she discarded both into her bag before removing her wallet and closing the trunk.

She decided to check out the tourist shop next door in search of a gift for Charlotte. Shopping had always been her best friend's stress reliever and she figured why not try another method, considering Will had ruined hers. Fishing her cell from her back pocket, she sent her uncle a quick text, knowing he was more likely to see it than her father. She placed it back in her pocket and turned her heels. She was met by a shadow on the ground. Glancing up at its owner, she saw Will stood next to her. Of course.

"Here," he said, handing her a rolled up piece of paper. "I thought you might want to keep it."

Liz stared at him for a long time. She wanted to tell him off but decided the quickest way to get rid of him was to just take what he offered and hopefully he would go away.

She yanked the paper from his hand, but he still remained. He began to open his mouth to speak, but she raised her hand, promptly stopping him.

"I don't care to hear any explanation about your actions last night," she started. "If this is your way of trying to feel less guilty, I don't want any part of it, because, quite frankly, you deserve to feel guilty. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an errand to run."

She opened the passenger door, threw her target onto the seat, and made for the shop.

Liz was halfway across the parking lot when her cell phone began to vibrate. Reaching in her back pocket, she checked the screen, expecting to see a response from her uncle, but instead met the smiling face of her best friend shining up at her.

"Your timing was a little off this time," Liz answered jokingly when she answered. "I could have used this call about two minutes ago."

Charlotte ignored Liz's comments and instead began a tirade of her own.

"You don't call, you don't text. You don't even email! I'm bored out of my mind here without you. I've resorted to watching cat videos on YouTube and completing homework for fun. Homework! Consider this my SOS signal. Bring me back to the land of the living."

"Charlotte," Liz said with a laugh, "boy I miss you. And did I ever need that laugh after these past 24 hours."

"I don't know what you have to complain about," replied Charlotte. " _You're_ the one on vacation."

Liz smirked, knowing full well that if her best friend could see her now, she would immediately draw all-knowing conclusions and pepper her with questions.

"You're right," Liz agreed, walking up the wooden steps leading to the shop. "I don't have anything to complain about. And you'd better be nice to me, or I will forget to bring you something back."

Charlotte gasped.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me," Liz challenged, opening the front door and taking a step inside.

"Are you shopping now?!" Charlotte said excitedly after she heard the door chime in the background.

"Maybe…" Liz teased. "If I were… what would you want?'

Charlotte changed her tune, stating what a wonderful friend she was and mentioned several items before stating her mother was calling and she had to go. Liz stated she should check out anyways and promised to call later. Liz ended up getting her best friend two gifts. She wanted to avoid anything too touristy as she planned on bringing Charlotte down for a visit sometime. Steering clear of the hats, t-shirts, and key chains, she settled on wooden sign that said "Life is Better at the Beach" and a silver necklace boasting one of Charlotte's favorite animals, a sea turtle.

Her father and uncle were just walking out of the range as she approached the car.

"I can't believe you left the range early to go shopping. Has Lydia been rubbing off on you?" her father said jokingly, eyeing her bag.

Liz rolled her eyes as she sat down in the back seat of the car. At least her father and uncle had been completely clueless to Will's presence, unlike her mother would have been. Hearing a crunching sound, she scooted up and felt behind her. Her hand found her target that Will had given her earlier. As she undid the rubber band, she realized he must have made a point of removing it for her and wondered where the rubber band had come from. His range bag perhaps? It made sense that he would keep his own targets to have proof of his skills so he could boast about his marksmanship to anyone who would listen. As Liz unrolled it, she noticed some writing on the back. In elegant script, she made out the date and a note from Will that read: _Very impressive. I shall try to remember never to get on your bad side again. Will._

* * *

 _Author's Note: Sorry it has taken me so long to write an additional chapter since ending PPZ: The Aftermath. It has been a year since I updated this story and I had to refresh my memory quite a bit. But rest assured, I do intend on continuing this story, and I hope you enjoy!_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Liz stood in navy shorts and a flowy red tank with fading white stars along the bottom. Her hair was still damp from her earlier shower and her brown curls began their normal spiraling. She remembered the days when she despised her curly hair. Hating that she wasn't like all the other girls in her middle school class with their impeccably straight hair. Jealous that her hair would hold more frizz than curl after swimming while the other girls had perfect hair without a strand out of place. Now, however, she loved it. Over the years she discovered it suited her, the unruly tendrils atop her head, for they made her different and she was anything but ordinary.

Picking her phone up from where she left it charging on the nightstand, Liz texted Georgiana to see how she was feeling. Her reply was instantaneous.

 **G: I'm feeling much better. Tnx! Will I see u at the fireworks 2nte?**

 **L: That's great! Yes, I'll see you there!**

Liz put Georgiana's now clean clothes on her bed next to her phone so she wouldn't forget to give them back later. She glanced around, seeing if she could spot any clothes that had been forgotten. Knowing her father would want to leave quite early the next morning, Liz had taken an hour to pack her bag apart from toiletries and other necessities. Her wet clothes from yesterday's adventure still remained in the same plastic bag, now in her suitcase. She figured one more day could only improve the stink, and she didn't want to spend her final afternoon doing laundry.

Jane walked into the room, freshly showered as well. Her red top was paired with white and blue striped shorts. In her hair she wore a red ribbon that held her hair away from her face. The girls had decided to visit the miniature golf course near the marina before meeting up with everyone else later for dinner. They had texted Lydia to see if she wanted to partake in their sisterly bonding, but she replied in the negative, saying she was gallivanting with Danny and would just meet them at Palm Isle for dinner. The two walked into the kitchen and Liz picked up the golf cart keys.

"Don't you two look adorable!" exclaimed Val as they walked onto the back deck.

As per usual, they had an array of cheese and crackers on the table in front of them. Each held a glass containing white wine except their father, who broke the pattern with his bottle of beer.

"Thanks, Aunt Val," Jane replied.

"We're going mini golfing. Meet you at Palm Isle?" Liz asked.

"Sounds good," her uncle replied. "We'll call a car so you don't have to worry about coming back for us."

As soon as they hopped into the golf cart, Liz turned a hopeful expression to her sister.

"What?" Jane asked innocently.

"Spill," Liz retorted.

"Spill what?"

"Oh come on, Jane!" Liz exclaimed, putting the key into the ignition and backing up the golf cart. "I want to hear all about your trip with Chris this morning."

Jane smiled knowingly.

"Why does mom get all of the details, but when I ask you give up nothing?" Liz asked, trying to guilt her sister into telling her information.

"That's not true!" claimed Jane. "There just isn't much to say."

"Jane, Chris has known you but two days and he's already whisked you off to a tropical destination," Liz said, turning onto the main drive. "He's smitten with you."

"I was still in The Keys," said Jane modestly.

"But, Jane, he took you somewhere on his private plane! That doesn't happen very often... Actually, that _never_ happens," Liz added. "Where did you go?"

"We flew down to Key West," said Jane.

"And…" Liz pried, hoping it would kick her sister into gear. She turned onto the main drive and headed towards the shops that ran along one of the marinas.

"And we walked around," said Jane after a moment. "A stranger was kind enough to take our picture in front of the 0 mile marker. Oh! And we had a guided tour of the Ernest Hemingway House. After that he took me to a butterfly conservatory. You should have seen them all! Landing on my shoes and shirt. I even got one to land on my finger. Chris may have gotten a picture of that..."

Liz smiled over at her, still holding her tongue. She wanted more details on him, not what they saw. Her sister was very modest, but Jane needed to learn that speaking of such things wasn't bragging; at least, not to her.

"And," Jane added after she realized Liz still wasn't saying anything, "you should have seen him flying, so competent and fearless. Sitting there in front of all those switches and knobs was overwhelming, but he knew exactly what to do and say. It was incredible."

She drove past the colorful shops and into a parking spot at the very end. They walked across the street to the mini golf course. Liz could feel the breeze coming across the marina. Closing her eyes, she drank in the smell of coconuts and salt water. When she opened them again, Liz's gazed was fixed on an all too familiar vessel, Pemberley. Why did he have to be everywhere? Thank goodness short palm trees blocked the harbor view when they stood on the min golf course. The last thing she wanted was to be eyeing that for the next hour.

Liz gave the attendant their aunt and uncle's member ID and, after running it in their computer system, told the girls to select any putter and golf ball of choice. Jane, as Liz predicted, selected the dusty rose golf ball, while she chose a light blue. Liz picked up a pencil and scorecard and then they headed towards the first hole.

It wasn't crowded, which Liz was thankful for. It appeared they had the place to themselves apart from one group on the other side of the course. Usually it was packed full of families. During those days, you would spend most of your time standing around waiting to begin the next hole than actually playing. You would also have to watch out for the occasional flying golf club or golf ball when kids got rowdy. More often than not, Liz had observed, parents were absent in those cases as well.

The first hole was the easiest with a hill on the left and a small wooden barrier on the right. Liz motioned for Jane to go first.

"You just want to win," Jane said, knowing Liz would want to learn from Jane's first putt.

"Naturally," Liz replied with a smirk. "A girl can hope."

Jane tapped her ball too lightly. It went halfway up the hill before rolling right back to its original spot.

"That's one," teased Liz.

"It doesn't count," said Jane. "We all get three free shots throughout the game. We've had that rule since you were six."

"I don't recall that," retorted Liz playfully.

"Come on, Liz," Jane pleaded. " _You're_ the one that made the rule!"

"Fine," Liz relinquished. "Three redoes."

Jane smiled triumphantly and took another try. This time, it rolled over the small hill, bounced off the back wooden wall and landed right into the cup.

"You were right, Liz," said Jane. "It was one."

Liz scowled and yet was proud of her sister's rare sassy personality tonight.

Jane beat her on the next several holes as well, and soon Liz put competition out of her mind and began playing for fun. She tried random angles as if she were playing pool to see if her ball would end up in the cup. Overall, her method hadn't let her down too much.

The 13th hole was one of the most difficult. The course was broken in half by a small bridge with water flowing underneath. Players had to putt around a wooden block and maneuver their ball across the small bridge to the other side. Then they had to putt it through a minefield of small wooden obstacles just to get it to the hole at the end. Both of them used a redo on that hole and by the end, Liz couldn't stop laughing at Jane, who had accidentally stepped into the water while lining up a putt.

Jane's favorite hole was the last one, which held the classic windmill. As her sister was with almost everything, she finished perfectly. Tapping her ball, it rolled between the blades, through the windmill, and right into the hole on the other side, where it went through a tube and dropped into the collection bin. Jane threw her hands up in victory and Liz gave her a congratulatory hug.

Liz then stepped up to take her turn. Setting her ball down, she watched the blades wind around and around. Tapping the ball, it rolled across the green felt, and slammed right into one of the blades, sending it rolling to the side of the course where it hit a wooden barricade before stopping a foot from where Liz stood.

"Redo!" Liz yelled. "I'm using my last redo!"

"Go for it," Jane said trying not to laugh as she stared down at the scorecard. "Take as many redo's as you want. It's all for fun anyways."

She smiled at her sister's generosity. Liz had been keeping score in her head and knew Jane was beating her by at least 15 strokes. Jane was too modest to say anything regarding Liz's inability to win, and she knew it was because Jane was too kind to care. Jane treasured memories and moments and didn't define life based on wins or losses. Yet another reason why Liz admired her.

Liz used the putter to move her ball back into place. Deciding on a different strategy, she tried not caring. Not even looking at where the blades were, she putt the ball forward, where it once again bounced off the blade right back to her.

"One more try," said Liz, knowing her sister wouldn't object.

She took more time during this attempt. Counting how many seconds she had between the blades and estimating how long it would take her ball to reach them. Deciding it would be best if she used as much force as possible, she brought the putter back and swung it forward, projecting the ball across the felt. It rolled faster this time. As it neared the blades, she got more nervous, but it deftly made it between them and exited on the other side. Not caring if she made a hole-in-one, she threw her arms up in victory as Jane embraced her.

After they settled down, Jane checked her watch and said they should head to dinner. They returned the putters and walked arm in arm back to the golf cart, laughing.

* * *

Their dinner reservation for the night was on Palm Isle. A temporary restaurant of sorts had been constructed on the beach near the lagoon. A large white tent had been raised near the water since Liz had last been there. She could tell they were trying to keep the vibe of The Club while still incorporating some holiday décor at the same time. Red, white, and blue shells were placed in the middle of the table along with sand and an American flag, which stuck out of a glass bottle on every tabletop. Standing at the hostess stand waiting for their table, Liz could feel the breeze drifting off the ocean. It shifted the white linens and flickered the candles that sat on each table. The sun had just started setting, and Liz saw the pinks, purples, and oranges reflected in the water. She loved this time of day. It reminded her of turning to the next page in a book: closing one chapter and beginning another.

The hostess returned and directed them to a table by the water. Taking her seat, Liz placed the bag containing Georgiana's clothes next to her chair and slipped her feet out of her sandals. Burying her toes into the sand, she relished the coolness of the layer below. Picking up the menu, she tried to figure out what she wanted.

Her mother had been in great spirits since that morning when Jane announced that she was meeting Chris at the airstrip. And now she wouldn't allow anyone to move on from the topic of Chris and Jane, lest they forget. Questions about the plane, where Chris had received his license, if he flew a lot, if he had more than one plane, if he let Jane fly at all.

To Liz's relief, Lydia had managed to detour the conversation several times, but their mother always hijacked the conversation back. Liz felt bad for Lydia. She often felt her mother favored Lydia, even though she would always deny having a favorite amongst her daughter. She was always tending to her youngest daughter by giving her money, doing her laundry, making her special meals, or listening intently about her day. Not that Liz minded. But with all the commotion over Jane and Chris these past few days, she could tell her sister was trying to compete for the attention Jane didn't even want.

She saw a disappointed look pass over Lydia's face as her sister glanced over at Jane, but her look quickly morphed back into one of happy indifference. Liz knew all too well what Lydia was struggling with. All their lives they had been told by their mother that Jane was the beautiful one. The kind one. The good one. As a result, Lydia was reckless and Liz was headstrong. And despite the constant comparing and contrasting between the three, Lydia and Liz could never hate Jane, for she was indeed the sweetest and gentlest. Liz tried to throw Lydia an encouraging smile across the table.

Their uncle ordered a bottle of wine for the table and the waitress placed filled glasses in front of everyone. Finally deciding on her entrée, Liz picked up her glass and sipped it slowly, enjoying the taste with their appetizers. Jane was quietly offering details on her flight at the other end of the table. Their mother sat next to her and Liz could practically see her coaxing every word out of Jane's mouth. Her father and uncle looked less thrilled. They sat opposite her mother and Jane and the men soon partook in quiet communication amongst themselves. Liz could tell Jane was getting sick of retelling all the particulars and being the center of attention. At this point Liz wondered whom her mother was even trying to impress, for they had no audience. Maybe she was hoping someone at a nearby table would be eavesdropping and spread rumors that Chris Bingley was dating her daughter.

To Liz's relief, Aunt Val sat to her right and they chatted with Lydia until Mrs. Bennet exclaimed unexpectedly.

"Mr. Bingley! How nice it is to see you again," her mother cooed.

"Chris, please," he replied.

Chris stood next to their table with his two sisters, who offered no hello or smile in greeting. Liz could feel Caroline's harsh gaze upon her. Would it be rude if she rolled her eyes in her general direction? Soon another man approached and placed his arm possessively around Lou's shoulders. Liz guessed this was the mysterious fiancé that was mentioned during their volleyball game.

He wore a white collared, button-down shirt and blue shorts with white anchors on them. A red sweater was thrown over his shoulders, the arms tied over his chest in a loose knot. His blue eyes scanned their faces, and he offered a polite hello but otherwise remained silent. From what Liz could tell, he was used to getting what he wanted.

She glanced back down at her menu, trying to ignore her mother's embarrassing comments on how they were just talking about Chris and Jane's trip, but then heard her name being called. Glancing up, she met Georgiana's bright face. Liz smiled and stood to give her a hug, meeting the eyes of her brother, who was standing quietly behind her. Her face fell. She awkwardly held his gaze for the duration of the embrace before sitting back down and avoiding his eyes.

"Where are you all sitting?" she heard her mother asking Chris.

The hostess, who was standing agitatedly behind the group, motioned towards the table directly behind her.

"Excellent!" cried Mrs. Bennet. "You should sit with us."

"You there," she said, gaining the attention of the hostess, "have these tables pushed together."

As much as Liz wanted to talk more with Georgiana, she could pass on the company of Will, Chris' sisters, and the uptight fiancé. She threw pointed looks in her aunt and uncle's direction, hoping they would stop her mother from accomplishing this new goal of hers, but the hostess spoke first.

'I'm sorry, Ma'am," she said in mock apology, "but we aren't permitted to block the aisle."

Liz sighed in relief as the hostess placed the menus on the table near them and walked away.

"Well, I guess we had better sit down, but I will see you afterwards," said Chris, glancing at Jane, who smiled and nodded.

Georgiana looked down at Liz before heading to her table and she said they would catch up after dinner. Liz looked back at her table and could see the disappointed look plaguing her mother. Reaching for her glass, she took a gulp of wine, quietly celebrating one minor victory.

* * *

Ironically, both parties finished eating around the same time. Liz assumed her mother had something to do with that seeing as her chair happened to face Chris' table. Georgiana came up behind her as they were walking out and asked if she wanted to go swing on the swings. Liz laughed at her childishness and agreed enthusiastically.

They carefully walked down the beach towards the playground for the sun had set some time ago. She spotted its dark silhouette in the distance. Liz could make out three swings swaying in the breeze as well as the circular slide, wooden bridge, and climbing wall.

"Oh!" said Liz, remembering the bag and handing it over. "Here are your clothes from yesterday. Thanks again."

Georgiana took the bag and shrugged off her thanks, saying it was nothing. They each selected a swing, and Liz began pumping her legs back and forth, gaining momentum.

"I haven't done this in forever!" she squealed with delight, memories of her childhood flooding back to her.

"Me neither!"

Liz tilted her head back and felt the swing carrying her back and forth.

"I feel like I'm six again!" Georgiana exclaimed.

After several minutes, Liz let her momentum gradually die down until her feet were firmly fixated in the sand. Georgiana soon did the same.

"I am feeling a lot better now. Boy did I need this..." Georgiana said, leaning her head against the chain and sighing.

"Well, I'm happy to partake in any childishness or tomfoolery whenever you need it," Liz said with a smile.

Georgiana's smile brightened but soon faded once more.

"Are you alright?"

Liz let her question hang there.

"Yes, it's nothing. I just… saw someone I didn't expect to and it hit me hard," explained Georgiana. "Anyways, Will thought it was best to avoid another possible run-in, and I agreed. That's why I stayed home last night. He told me it was fun though."

"Yes, it was. Everything was just… perfect," Liz said, realizing there really was no way to properly explain last night.

Liz thought about mentioning dancing with Will, but she didn't want to hop on that topic of conversation, especially with his little sister. There was also how he punched Gale, but again, she thought better of it. Who knows what she would think of her brother if she knew he had an angry streak. Or maybe she already knew.

Georgiana offered Liz a smile, but she could tell she was still bothered, as the glassiness hadn't yet left her eyes.

"Well," said Liz, "I am here if you need me."

"Thanks, Liz," responded Georgiana. "I am sorry you're leaving tomorrow, but stay in touch, ok?"

"Of course," Liz assured her. "And I'll let you know if I'm ever in Newport."

"You'd better," Georgiana teased. Liz saw her open her mouth to speak again, but a dark figure approached, and Liz soon made out the lithe figure of Caroline Bingley.

"Hey, Georgiana," she said, ignoring Liz completely. "The fireworks are about to start."

Caroline stood there, waiting to her to catch her meaning. Georgiana exhaled and reluctantly got up.

"I'll try to catch you later," Georgiana grumbled before walking back with Caroline. Liz chuckled softly, fully comprehending it had to be all Will's doing.

* * *

Liz branched off from everyone and instead opted to watch the fireworks in peace, away from the excessive talking, screaming children, and loud music. She needed to think. Walking up the beach and past the pool, she came to a pathway that led to the southernmost point of Palm Isle. The little jetty jutted out into the water and she maneuvered her way down to the end. To her relief, it was empty.

Feeling like she could finally breathe, Liz angled one of the wooden chairs towards the fireworks and sat down. She had a perfect, unobstructed view, and the patriotic music was just loud enough to be heard. Smiling, she quietly hummed along to "God Bless the U.S.A. "

She had been sitting there for a few minutes before Liz heard someone walking up the path behind her. Turning around, she expected to see one of her sisters or Georgiana, but instead met the dark eyes of Will Darcy.

Acting as if she hadn't even noticed him, Liz focused back on the fireworks, determined to ignore him. But, to her dismay, he dragged a chair over and settled down right next to her. Deciding it was best to avoid all uncomfortable topics of conversation, she spoke first.

"Do you like watching fireworks?" she asked, her eyes not straying from the sky.

"Not particularly," Will replied, keeping his eyes fixated as well.

Then why was he here? Shouldn't he be with his friends on the beach? Or he possibly could have taken his mega yacht out for the night; surely the view was much better out there…. Not that she cared.

Liz wasn't often rendered uncomfortable, but in this moment, she felt stiff and awkward. Here she was sitting with the man who had been in a physical altercation just the night before. And what's worse, he was sitting here acting as if nothing had happened. Granted, it was ultimately Gale's decision on whether he wanted something to be done about it, but he could at least bring Will's behavior to the limelight. Her palms were sweating and with the sound of the water lapping the rocks and the twinkling light strands twisted around the palm trees, it made the moment almost… sort of… romantic. And the thought made her even more uncomfortable. She was trying to suppress the heat rising in her cheeks at the idea and cursed herself for even thinking it. She hated this man.

Will, on the other hand, looked completely at ease. He was his normal brooding, arrogant self, with his nose raised high and back impeccably straight. It wasn't her fault that after everything he had done she still found him attractive. Heck, any girl would be attracted to him. You just couldn't help it. But, unlike Caroline, Liz wasn't tempted by his money or _charming_ personality. Her resolve always won out and it was time she reminded him again that she was immune to him.

"Do you like history?" Liz asked.

His eyes furrowed as he threw her a confused look.

"Well, I can't help but think that it's kind of ironic," Elizabeth commented, slowly glancing over at Will, whose puzzled expression didn't change.

"Well," explained Liz, "this is the day we celebrate our independence from the British Empire. And here I sit… next to _you_."

"Is it uncomfortable for you?" she asked after a few quiet seconds.

She eyed him up and down while emitting faux innocence. Instead of the annoyed expression she was hoping for, his eyes were somewhat mischievous.

"My mother was American," he responded matter-of-factly, his mouth curling up at the ends. "And I think she would have enjoyed these fireworks," Will added, leaning back in his chair and glancing up at the sky. "They're pretty _decent_."

Liz couldn't take any more. Ignoring the amusement plaguing his face, she rose up from her chair and walked back to the beach. She would rather listen to her mother's babble than sit any longer with him.

* * *

Liz was fuming as she stormed back up the path towards the beach. At the last second she decided to veer left at the fork, walking past the hot tub and towards one of the marinas. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she called Charlotte, needing to vent to her best friend.

"Wait a minute," said Charlotte after Liz had thoroughly explained everything that had happened so far. "Let me see if I get this straight. You and Jane caught the eyes of the two hottest men at The Club this weekend? Not to mention that Gale guy. And ever since meeting Will, he has shown up in random spots? Restaurants, the grocery store, and the range?"

Charlotte paused before adding, "Nice!"

Liz groaned.

"I did not catch his eye," she retorted, as she played with a curl at the end of her hair.

"Not from what you're saying."

Her friend hesitated.

"You like him…" added Charlotte knowingly.

"No, I do not!" Liz practically shouted into the phone. "I like Gale."

"Ok. Fine," Liz said, giving in, realizing her defensive tone would only clue Charlotte in more. "I admit Will is handsome and his accent makes me want to melt, but he is arrogant and annoying. And those two traits trump everything else."

"No," corrected Charlotte, "he challenge's you. And you are definitely not used to having someone contradict you."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you had been here or seen him," commented Liz.

"Liz, he made a point of walking out there just to sit with you," alluded Charlotte.

"Yeah, to annoy me. And boy did that work," countered Liz. "Trust me, I like Gale a heck of a lot more. He's down-to-earth, funny, and gives Will a run for his money in the looks department."

"Whatever you say," stated Charlotte.

"Well," said Liz, "I for one am just happy we are leaving tomorrow so I can put as much distance between Will and myself as possible."

"And what about Gale?" inquired Charlotte.

"He is supposed to meet me tonight after the fireworks," said Liz. "He mentioned some sort of party near the employee housing, which sounds like fun."

"I should have come with you," Charlotte wined into the phone. 'Then I could have met someone or at least would be going to this party with you."

"The next time I come down," Liz promised, "you are coming with me."

"I'm holding you to it," stated Charlotte.

Liz's phone began to buzz. She glanced at the screen and saw Gale was calling her. Noticing the stillness in the air, Liz began walking back towards the beach.

"Charlotte," Liz began explaining, "I have to go, Gale is calling, but I will see you tomorrow."

Charlotte barely had time to get her goodbye in before Liz switched calls.

"Hey stranger," she greeted him. "Where should I meet you? We're still on the beach."

"Hey, Liz," Gale began. She could sense his detachment before he even said her name. "Something has actually come up and I'm not going to be able to sneak away like I was hoping. Sorry I wont get to see you before you leave though."

Liz tried her best to hide her disappointment.

"No worries," she assured him. "Maybe I will see you the next time I'm down."

"Yeah, hopefully," he agreed. "Listen, I got to go, but keep in touch, ok?"

She agreed and hung up her phone.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Traffic was heavy as the Bennet's made their way around Miami. They had been in the car for just over an hour and already Liz could see a string of red lights up ahead. All too soon, their car slowed to a crawl. Liz sighed heavily and leaned her head against the door. If they had left when they originally intended, they wouldn't be sitting on the highway moving one mile every 30 minutes. She blamed Lydia. Her sister had gotten in so late, or early, depending on your personal definition, that their mother had insisted no one wake her so she gets her necessary rest. At least she was focusing a bit more on her youngest child. Lydia's late night, in addition to the obligatory brunch and hour-long goodbye session with Uncle Dan and Aunt Val, now had them several hours behind schedule. At this rate, Liz knew, to her dismay, she wouldn't get home much before 7pm.

She changed the song on her iPod and turned up the volume. Lydia's phone kept buzzing, vibrating the back seat, but seeing as she was asleep, it went untouched. As a result, Liz's patience began running thin. How could her sister sleep with it so close? Trying to ignore it, she stared out the window, watching the people around them, hoping it would pass the time. Two kids sat in the back of a minivan watching a movie. Liz squinted, trying to figure out what it was. They pulled forward and another car inched up next to them, blocking her view. Liz now faced a new boring, empty backseat. Their father then coasted the car forward, bringing the screen back into focus. And so it went on for several more minutes before Liz's curiosity faded and she closed her eyes, thinking sleep may help pass the time,

She was soon distracted by the consistent tapping of Jane's thumb nails next to her as she no doubt texted Chris on her iPhone. He had stopped by the house one last time this morning to say goodbye and give them all his best. To Liz's relief, Will was not with him. Their mother was still talking about his farewell from her spot in the front seat. Although no one was listening to her, she carried on, voicing how it was so thoughtful of him to consider them all, wondering if he could trouble himself to visit next month, and turning around to tell Jane to invite him, to which Liz heard her sister give their mother a polite refusal. Despite the sound coming from her headphones, Liz could still make out every word. That, added to the buzzing and tapping and the hot sun that now shone onto her, was enough to make her go mad. She removed her headphones and sighed, catching her father's eyes in the rearview mirror. As they rolled Liz noticed the car music growing louder as well. Her father's eyes danced back at her. Despite herself, Liz smiled at his attempts to both drown out the sound of his wife's babbling and annoy her mother at the same time. Before long, her mother declared the music was too loud and turned the dial down while saying her husband needed to get his ears checked, to which he responded would never happen because he would then have no excuse for ignoring her.

Four hours and one stop for dinner later, they finally pulled into their parent's driveway. Liz threw her door open and climbed out before her dad put the car in park. She bee-lined for the trunk and pulled her bag out, hoisting it over one shoulder. After a quick round of half-hearted hugs and a lecture from her mother about driving safely, Liz walked towards her car and drove off.

Liz was only a block away before she felt like she could finally breathe again. Granted she loved her family and their quirks, but her mother was sometimes suffocating with her constant scrutiny and prattling. Where her mother always felt the need to fill every silence or pause with sound, Liz valued the quiet. Her mother had talked the entire drive home, and Liz was exhausted. Inhaling deeply, she relished the peace and spaciousness within her car.

She pulled into an empty parking spot and sat for a few minutes enjoying a few more moments of silence, knowing Charlotte would be all giggles and shrills when she walked in.

"Finally!" Charlotte squealed the moment Liz opened the door. She walked in and was engulfed in a tight hug. Her vision filled with chestnut hair as Charlotte's arms got tighter and tighter around her.

"A normal person! Praise the Lord!" Liz laughed as she pulled away. She threw her bag on the floor near the foyer and walked into the kitchen.

"Oh come on, your family isn't that bad," replied Charlotte as she took a seat on the couch once more. She picked up a bowl of chips from the coffee table and popped one into her mouth. "What took you so long?"

"The interstate was a parking lot around Miami," Liz explained. "You would think there was a hurricane coming with the amount of cars on the road."

"You know you just jinxed us, right?" Charlotte chastised before lifting a glass of soda to her mouth, taking a sip. "And they predicted a particularly bad hurricane season this year."

Liz rolled her eyes at her friend's superstitiousness.

"And of course," Liz continued, "Lydia was out until the wee hours of the morning so we got a late start since mom insisted she sleep in."

"No one says 'wee' anymore, Liz," mocked Charlotte.

Liz ignored her and continued, "You'd better be nice to me or I may _forget_ to give you your gift."

She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and met the hopeful gaze of her roommate as she took a long sip.

"What did you bring me?!" Charlotte exclaimed, boasting a faux hopeful expression.

"Like you don't already know," Liz said rolling her eyes. She smiled as she placed the half empty bottle on the counter.

"I know," responded Charlotte, "but I can at least act surprised."

She rolled her eyes again as she bent over and retrieved the bag holding Charlotte's gifts from her suitcase. She flung it over the couch and into her friend's waiting hands.

"Enjoy," she said, kissing her on the top of the head.

Despite having two siblings already, Liz thought of Charlotte as her third honorary sister. Having been assigned as roommates during their freshman year of college, the two immediately became joined at the hip. They ate lunch every day at the same table, as well as attended campus events, the beach and movie outings together. Their suitemates were part of their crew as well. The small group was always doing something together, relishing the college experience. During the beginning of their third year, only Liz and Charlotte remained and they had been living together in the same small apartment off campus ever since.

Charlotte tore open the bag and pulled out her gifts with a squeal, feigning ignorance. Jumping up from her seat, she gave Liz another hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Liz Laughed and said, "You practically spelled out to me what you wanted, so you can drop the act."

"Well, thank you all the same," replied Charlotte as she sank back onto the sofa and peeked inside at her gifts. "Are you tired?"

"Exhausted," Liz responded before reaching for her suitcase and walking to her room. Placing it on an upholstered chair in her room, she decided to deal with it later.

When she returned to the kitchen, she heard her phone ringing and lunged for her purse, overwhelmed with a sudden burst of energy. Her excitement faded after seeing a text from Jane asking if she had made it home ok.

"Jane?" Charlotte guessed with a wry smirk.

"Yup," said, walking back to the sofa and plopping down with a sigh.

"Don't worry, I would have been disappointed if he didn't text me too," Charlotte sympathized as she plopped two chips into her mouth.

"Yeah, he was pretty great" Liz agreed, reaching for the bowl. She leaned back into the sofa and recalled their shared moments from the past few days.

"With that body and his eyes, girl, I would be dying for a text too," said Charlotte bluntly. "Heck I would settle for a passing glance from that man. I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about Will's touch given how cozy you two were this weekend. You know, I'm quite proud of your for putting yourself out there."

Liz nearly chocked.

"What?! I was not hoping for a message from Will," Liz said defensively after she swallowed. " _Gale_ said he would text me tonight. And what are you talking about cozying up to Will's touch? I couldn't stand him…. Heck, I still can't stand him."

"Lydia's social media pictures don't lie, my friend" Charlotte explained, reaching for her phone.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," said Liz exasperatedly, throwing her head back against the cushions.

"Come on, you of all people know how obsessed Lydia is with her accounts," Charlotte said.

"Yes, and with herself. Hence all her selfies!" retorted Liz. "None of me. _Never_ of me."

"Well, just of you, and Jane, and Chris… and Will," Charlotte continued after a pause. "I have yet to see Gale, but who cares about him?" Charlotte teased.

Liz sneered as she scooted closer, and Charlotte passed over her phone. Glancing down, Liz scrolled through several candid photos taken this past weekend. One was a shot of Lydia placing a kiss on Danny's cheek at the bar the night she first met Gale. The next was of her sister sitting in the hot tub on Palm Isle sipping a strawberry daiquiri. One after another all the pictures were of her sister. She was about to ask Charlotte what she meant but then she came across a candid photo of Jane and Chris near one of the silent auction tables. Jane was smiling sweetly down at Chris as he gazed affectionately back up at her, his hand placing a silent bid on what appeared to be a spa package. Looking down at the caption, Liz saw her sister had smartly decided not to tag Jane or Chris in the photo. Liz slid her thumb across the screen and came across a surprisingly close up shot of her dancing with Will. Her heart stopped.

Her back was to the camera, but her profile was visible in the frame. She was obviously avoiding his stare. In the moment, however, he was gazing down at her, his eyes taking her in and his hand firmly against the small of her back.

"Yeah," Charlotte began, "it seems like you've been holding back. You never said you danced with him..."

"It didn't seem important enough to mention," Liz replied quietly. "Lydia literally managed to capture the one moment this guy was decent to me…. Well second time," she added, "seeing as he did rescue me from that storm. But in this picture he was just saving me from another awful dance from Milan Collins. That's it. His one good gesture captured on camera."

"Yeah, that's not what I'm seeing," said Charlotte. "He looks pretty content and possessive from where I'm sitting."

"Well, then you should move your seat," Liz rebutted. "You don't know because you weren't there."

"No, I wasn't," mused Charlotte.

"I told you," Liz defended, "the next time I go, I'm taking you with me. I promise."

"You'd better," Charlotte threatened. "And I want to meet someone like that."

"An egotistical, refined prude?" Liz scoffed.

"Liz…." Charlotte reprimanded, sounding like Jane.

"Fine," she said giving in. "You're right. I don't need to be so rude, but I am allowed to voice my own opinions."

Charlotte smirked in triumph as she took her phone back.

"So, when is your class?" Charlotte asked, knowing better than to continue on with the subject.

Liz groaned. She had momentarily forgotten vacation was over and it was back to reality.

"Tomorrow morning," replied Liz. "It's been so nice having one class during the summer. It's going to be crazy next semester."

"The last semester always is," said Charlotte. "What are you doing after graduation?"

"I'm getting my doctorate," Liz answered automatically.

Both girls laughed, knowing how the other was so ready for school to be over. Many times they had questioned why they wanted to get their Master's Degrees in the first place.

"Really, I have no idea," sighed Liz. "Pretty much nothing has changed since you last asked me. What about you?"

Charlotte responded vaguely as well.

"Maybe I should throw myself at Will," Liz joked. "Then I wouldn't have to worry about what to do after getting my Master's Degree since I would get my Mrs. Degree right along with it. Boy would my mother be thrilled."

Charlotte laughed.

"Anyway," Liz said, stifling a yawn, "I will probably be working a lot this week, so don't plan on seeing me much during the day. I'm gonna go unpack and get ready for bed."

Upon entering her room, Liz closed the door and walked over to her victrolla. Selecting her favorite record from the shelf, she placed the vinyl on the spinning dock and positioned the needle. Classical music soon filled the air and she began to settle in once again.

Reaching into her suitcase, Liz grasped all of her dirty clothes into her arms and dropped them into her laundry basket. She would start her wash tomorrow after class and work. Turning back, she removed her toiletry bag and began unpacking it in her bathroom. Liz then organized her school materials and took a hot shower. Her shoulders ached a bit from being scrunched in the back seat of the car for so long and she rolled them a bit, trying to assuage the stiffness. Walking back into her room, she went to her dresser and pulled out an old t-shirt and shorts. She then hung her towel up and began combing through her hair, walking absentmindedly through her room, adding last minute necessities into her book bag. That's when she saw it hanging halfway out of her laundry basket. Will's hoodie.

She stood there staring at it for some time, afraid it would leap at her. Taking the risk, she walked over and yanked the sweater away from her other clothes, throwing it onto her bed, where it landed on her pillow and continued staring back at her. Hadn't she given it back? She thought she did. Now what was she to do? She would never see Will again and yet she held this somewhat intimate reminder that he had entered her life. Reaching for it once more, Liz walked it to the other side of her room and held it over her trashcan. It dangled for some time before she opened the bottom drawer in her dresser and shoved it into the back. There. Out of sight, out of mind.

Setting her alarm, she laid in bed, wondering how an inanimate object could have such power over her. Rolling onto her side, she closed her eyes and focused on breathing, trying to calm her rapid heart rate. She was just beginning to feel groggy when her phone buzzed, making her jump. Picking it up, she saw a text from Gale.

 **G: Make it home?**

Giddiness immediately consumed her, and Liz sat up in bed before texting him back in the affirmative.

 **L: Traffic was a nightmare though. How's your face healing?**

 **G: My eye still hurts, but I'll be fine. Thanks for asking. Wish I knew why he went at me though.**

 **L: He probably felt entitled to do it.**

 **G: No doubt.**

 **L: So, when are you coming to visit?**

 **G: Hopefully soon. It's boring down here without ya.**

Liz smiled and rolled onto her side before responding.

 **L: I'm sure.** **J**

Liz waited for more but nothing came. She glanced at the clock and moaned at how late it had become. Setting her phone on the nightstand, Liz adjusted her pillow and finally fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Liz worked part-time in the Admissions Office of her University, giving tours, filing paperwork, and entering data into the system whenever needed. Most days she was able to sit and do readings or other assignments for her classes, but the summer courses were coming to a rapid ending and life would get stressful for those helping new students begin during the fall semester.

After her class, which mostly consisted of the professor going over the syllabus and required readings for their next class, she skittered into the office and dropped her backpack by her desk. One other student assistant Liz knew sat at their desk next to her and was entering transcript information for an applicant, headphones in, music blaring. Liz sat down, popped in her own headphones and checked her email. Reading her projects from her boss, she saw she had been assigned transcripts that needed to be entered into their system and mailings that she needed to be labeled and sent out to all incoming students. She grumbled, realizing how tedious those tasks alone would be. Liz wanted to bang her head repeatedly against her desk when she then read that she would also be giving two tours in the afternoon. Liz moaned at the thought of being forced to walk around campus during the hottest part of the day. Maybe she could talk her boss into letting her take the golf cart if the groups were small enough. At least then there would be a warm breeze.

* * *

Stuffing the final letter and accompanying pamphlet into an envelope, Liz checked the time. 1:59pm. She had just made it. Grabbing her nametag, she stood up and began walking towards the front of the office to meet her first tour group of the day. Nancy, the receptionist, was chatting with what appeared to be an equally friendly woman with straight blonde hair and a round face. She wore a light sundress and matching cardigan and, despite being Liz's height, looked quite short compared to her towering husband. He was a stern man, who quietly examined everything in the small lobby. His pants were wrinkle free and the sleeves on his buttoned downed dress shirt were rolled up just below his elbow. His eyes soon fell on Liz and her cheeks reddened as he took her in. Boy this job made her uncomfortable sometimes, but she had seen his type before and knew how to deal with it.

Pushing aside her insecurities, Liz put on a smile and introduced herself. After shaking both of their hands, the father, who had instructed her to call him Mr. Van Allen, called his son over. His son had been staring out the front window watching a commercial jet taxi on the airport adjacent to their campus. Their office had the best view on campus in Liz's opinion, however it also was the noisiest due to that same fact.

Laughing inwardly, she thought of how many times she'd seen this same reaction on other potential students that walked through the door, all pursuing their dreams of becoming a pilot. The boy quickly hustled over and politely shook Liz's outstretched arm.

"Jacob," he said quietly.

He had his mother's round face and kind eyes. Like his father, his clothes weren't wrinkled and not even a hair on his head was out of place. Jacob was tall, taller than his father possibly, however he seemed miniature next to the man's demanding presence.

"It's very nice to meet you, Jacob. My name is Elizabeth, and I will be taking you on a tour of our campus today," Liz started as Nancy made her excuses and glanced back at her computer. "I assume you will want to check out our flight line first before…"

"No," Mr. Van Allen interrupted her. "Jacob is not here to fly, so I see no reason to waste our time looking at planes. Here is here to learn aerospace engineering, and we would appreciate it if you keep the tour to places he will need to go to on a weekly basis seeing as we are on a time crunch."

Liz pitied the boy, who's face had fallen a fraction more since being reminded that he wouldn't be in the cockpit. She decided to throw him a bone.

"Of course, I will be happy to show you our college of engineering building and the labs." She reached for the golf cart keys behind the counter and added, "You know, some engineers minor in flight as well since they have found having their pilot's license helps them design more efficiently."

"And what, may I ask, are you studying?" inquired Mr. Van Allen.

She proudly told him, even though she knew where he was taking the conversation.

"Seeing as you are not an engineering student or even a graduate of an engineering program," he responded, halting in his tracks, "I do not see how you are qualified to give us our tour."

If Liz could have, she would have rolled her eyes at him. She hated dealing with people like this, especially with today being her first day back.

"Rest assured, _sir_ ," she retorted, "I know all about our engineering programs and have been trained on each one of our programs. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have along the way. Now what engineering field are you interested in, Jacob?"

"Aerospace Engineering"

Liz continued walking up the sidewalk to the side of the building. During her tours, Liz liked to address the incoming student instead of the parents. She found it helped them get more comfortable in the new environment and they usually appreciated being treated like adults.

They approached the golf cart and Mr. Van Allen sat in the front while his wife and son quietly hopped onto the back. He began peppering her with questions, all of which she, to her relief, knew the answers to. The engineering building wasn't too far away, but she was able to point out the library and student center on the way. Their small auditorium was also en route to their destination, and she explained to Jacob they played new movies for free every Thursday night, to which Mr. Van Allen grumbled and said his son wouldn't have time for social activities. Classes were still in session so they made good time, seeing as she didn't have to dodge students on the sidewalks.

They walked into the building and she pointed out the various model planes suspended from the ceiling before escorting them to the elevator. Taking them to the third floor, Liz began explaining that this was where most of the aerospace engineering courses were held in addition to the labs. She took them down the hallway and explained some of the projects undergraduate and graduate students were a part of. Mr. Van Allen seemed impressed but Jacob remained silent, seemingly uninterested.

Turning around, she led them back toward the elevator and pointed out their view of campus as they waited. Again the aircraft that happened to be flying just within their view awed Jacob. Liz hadn't seen him this excited about anything since his father pried him from the Admissions window thirty minutes before. After the quiet ride to the first floor, Liz pointed out one of the available computer labs before exiting the building.

Motioning towards the golf cart, she said, "Now I will take you to look at the student center and dormitories."

With her professional fake smile, she pulled onto the sidewalk, thinking there was no harm in taking the long route past the flight line.

* * *

Fifty-seven. That's the number of times Liz heard Mr. Van Allen reprimand his son for doing or saying something that was, in his father's mind, unsuitable. Never had she been so happy for a tour to end, until she realized Jacob had been dealing with this his entire life. She, on the other hand, had only been under Mr. Van Allen's scrutiny all of 60 minutes. Liz made a note to check on Jacob after he had settled during the fall semester.

Liz had just finished setting the reminder on her calendar when her phone rang. Picking it up, Nancy told her the next tour group had arrived. Forcing another smile, she walked towards the front desk, praying it would be better than the first.

"Miss Bennet!" said a familiar voice. Her face fell. "I cannot believe my eyes."

"Mr. Collins," Liz responded in surprise. "What brings you here?"

"Elizabeth Bennet, may I present Vivian Van der Burg," he said with a flourish wave of his hand as he motioned towards the familiar looking lady next to him. She wore a spotless cream suit that fit her petite frame snugly and nude pumps that were, in her opinion, too high for someone her age. Her designer purse hung from her arm the way rich women tended to drape them and her sunglasses were still perched atop her nose, despite the fact that they were inside.

"You may recall," Mr. Collins continued, "my mentioning of her being my school's most generous donor whilst we were on the dance floor at one of her charity events in The Keys this past summer?"

"Oh, you mean the one we attended only a few night ago? Of course, how could I forget?" said Liz, putting on her faux smile once again to reign in the sarcasm. Mrs. Van der Burg had been on stage speaking during the silent auction.

"Well," Collins continued, "she also is an avid donor for this university and decided to stop by whilst we were in the area."

"It's a pleasure," Liz stuck her hand out in greeting.

Mrs. Van der Burg placed hers daintily within Liz's, giving Liz the impression she didn't wish to be in any sort of contact with her and was only doing so because politeness dictated it.

"So, what do you wish to see today?" Liz pressed, quickly pulling her hand away.

"Well," Mrs. Van der Burg began, "like my nephew, my darling father, God rest his soul, was an esteemed alumni of the flight program, and I wished to see the various projects I have funded near the flight line in his honor."

Clarity hit her once more. The new building had been named partially for her due to her generous funding. After offering them both beverages, Liz grabbed the cart keys once again and began walking out the door before the director of the department soared in and began showering Mrs. Van der Burg with praise. Before Liz knew it, he had taken the keys from Liz and was leading the tour himself.

When no one was looking, she rolled her eyes, wishing she could have been relieved from her tour duties completely, but she knew better. Liz knew random facts about everything, as the job demanded, whereas the director was a brilliant schmoozer. He needed her. At least she wouldn't have to cozy up to Mr. Collins or this opulent donor for the next hour… Or so she thought as she squeezed in next to Mr. Collins on the back of the golf cart.

* * *

Liz never wanted to hear the name Van der Burg again. Everywhere they went throughout the building she would make some snide comment about how the building was maintained, how the students shuffled through the hallways, leaving skid marks on the floor, and the noise level. At one point she heard Vivian complaining about the students in general. Did she have any idea what a university was? And Mr. Collins would voice his agreement every time before commenting on how her benevolence was the only reason they had the building.

And then there was her endless praise of her daughter, who Liz still wasn't convinced, even existed.

"It is too bad my daughter, Anne, cannot be here, she would have been a wonderful pilot should she be able to study and complete the exam, but her ill health prevents her," Mrs. Van der Burg cooed.

"Indeed," agreed Mr. Collins.

"Her doctor forbid her to travel just the other day while we were making our plans," she continued.

"I am sorry to hear that," Liz offered. "Is she sick often?"

Mrs. Van der Burg shot her a pointed expression, and she immediately regretted speaking. Damn her curiosity.

"My daughter is very delicate and is born for the refinements of life, Elizabeth."

She gaged, internally of course, and suspected Anne was paying the doctor to say those things just so she'd get much needed distance from her mother. Liz had surely been there herself on many occasions.

"Indeed," Mr. Collins stated again. "A pearl she is, and what a fine motherly example she has in Mrs. Van der Burg, I might add."

At that declaration, Liz's boss even threw Liz a glance, his eyebrows raised. She shot him a " _Yeah. I know_ ," look in response.

They were wrapping up the tour as Mrs. Van der Burg interrupted the Admission Director's speech by stating, "My nephew has his Airline Transport Pilot License, however he mentioned wishing to get some refresher flights and simulation courses, as he hasn't flown in about year or two. He's just so busy he always has to have someone else fly for him. But he has mentioned wishing to make sure he is current. How can we make this happen?"

The Director gave a swift answer stating all alums are welcome back at discounted rates to hone their skills. Mrs. Van der Burg gave a curt nod when he finished, glanced at her watch, and said they were behind schedule. With that, Mrs. Van der Burg gave a brief line of thanks and sashayed out the door, with Collins right on her heels.

Liz sighed in relief, but it was too soon. The door swung open once again and Mr. Collins entered.

"Miss Elizabeth, before I depart I wanted to thank you again for such a wonderful tour. Your mother was most generous in providing me with your number when I last saw her, and I wanted to assure you that I will be in touch and am anxiously looking forward to our next meeting" Mr. Collins prattled in one breath.

Liz blinked at him in complete and utter horror. Oh, why did this have to happen in front of her coworkers? And why was her mother so concerned with her love life?

With that, he reached for her hand and gently kissed it before dashing out the door once more. _Well, that makes one of us,_ Liz thought.

Liz turned around and met the stares and smirks from Nancy and everyone else in the lobby. She knew they could see the reddish hue on her cheeks, but she played it off nonetheless.

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah…" Liz mumbled as she made her way back to her desk.

* * *

"I'm so sick of this heat," Charlotte mumbled as she sat down next to Liz at their lunch table one day in early September.

"Well you'd better get used to it, it looks like it's supposed to stay in the 90s for the next several weeks," Liz responded, not glancing up from the case study in front of her.

"Forget to do your homework again?" Charlotte asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"No," Liz said. "We are having a discussion in class this afternoon and participation is a good chunk of our grade. I read through it over the weekend but I want to skim it so it stays fresh."

"You know you're making us all look bad, right?"

Liz chose to ignore her. Charlotte was a procrastinator and tended to work best under pressure. Liz, on the other hand, liked to have assignments complete well ahead of their due date and hated being caught by surprise.

"I just keep telling myself, 'two more classes and then you're done.' I'm so happy I opted for the non-thesis option," admitted Liz. "Can you imagine doing all that work in addition to everything else?"

"Nope," agreed Charlotte. "That's called a death sentence. This one guy I know is starting from scratch because the new chair of his department didn't think his original one was suitable. Crazy."

"To not being crazy," Liz toasted, raising her water bottle. Without missing a beat, Charlotte clinked her own against Liz's.

Next to her lunch tray, Liz's phone began buzzing. She picked it up upon seeing it was from Jane.

"Hey!" Liz greeted her sister. "Where are you?"

She started looking around. Her sister had an early release day at her school and had agreed to meet her and Charlotte for lunch, much to Liz's excitement. The two had been ships passing in the night over the past few weeks, both wrapped up in their own lives.

"By some building," Jane replied.

"Well, that's helpful," Liz said sarcastically.

"The are planes on the other side of the fence beyond the building. Oh! And there's a man walking out of it in some kind of white uniform."

"Ok, you're by the flight line. You see the long walkway running through campus? The one the uniformed man is probably walking on?" Liz asked.

"Yes…" Jane responded hesitantly.

"Walk up it and we are sitting just beyond the two buildings on the left outside the student center. You know? By the library? You can't miss us."

"Ok…" Jane replied uncertainly again before hanging up.

"She lost again?" Charlotte inquired.

"Yup. You'd think that since she's been on campus multiple times, she know where to go."

"Eh, some people are just directionally challenged. So, has she mentioned Chris lately?" Charlotte pried.

"Honestly, we haven't had much time to talk with her teaching and my classes. I'm just as curious as you are."

Liz's phone lit up again and she glanced down.

MR. COLLINS showed in big letters across the screen. She declined the call and met Charlotte's amused expression.

"I thought you blocked him," she recollected.

"I did," said Liz, "but he called my mom and after hearing her nagging for days I still wouldn't relent. So he did what any reasonable man would do… he changed his phone number."

Charlotte started crying from laughter and Liz couldn't help but join after a few seconds. At least her father was more understanding. He had offered to have Liz's number changed, but she declined knowing it would just be a bigger hassle. And, she reasoned, if it got much worse, she could always just get a restraining order.

"Liz! Charlotte!"

The girls glanced in the direction of their names and saw Jane waving at them, but she wasn't alone. She was standing next to a handsome undergrad student. He was a foot taller than her sister and had dark wavy hair. Perched on his nose were aviator sunglasses and one shoulder supported his heavy flight bag. Jane offered a final smile at the student, which he returned overenthusiastically, before walking in their direction.

"Another knight in shining armor offering to help you?" Charlotte joked.

"Yes, he was so nice," Jane commented, placing down her lunch bag in front of her. "Must have seen my flustered look after I hung up. He came right up to me and asked if I was lost."

"Speaking of damsels in distress," Liz pried, "How's Chris?"

Jane's face brightened.

"Never mind. We don't want the sappy details," Liz said.

"Speak for yourself!" stated Charlotte. "I have to live vicariously through everyone else."

During the next half hour Jane filled them in on her brief conversations with Chris, which Liz was surprised weren't more in-depth. From what Jane offered, Liz got the impression he hadn't been as talkative in recent weeks and Liz was hoping absence wasn't making him forgetful. Before she knew it, Liz had to rush off to her class. Kissing her sister on the cheek, she said goodbye to Charlotte and headed across the lawn.

* * *

The watch on her phone showed 2:13pm. She was late to work. Liz groaned.

Her professor had made the mistake of asking if there were any questions relating to their upcoming exam. Countless hands had shot up in the air and before Liz knew it, time had run over.

"Sorry I'm late" she mumbled as she walked into the room. She knew from her time in the office before lunch that she was scheduled for a 2:30pm tour, but she had arrived with minutes to spare. "Class ran over," she offered as her excuse.

"No worries. Your tour hasn't arrived yet, and the boss stepped out thirty minutes ago," Nancy said, throwing her a wink.

 _Bless this woman!_

Liz quickly ducked into the back and threw her bag down. She had just began putting her nametag in place when she saw Nancy's caller ID scroll across her phone screen.

"On my way," she said into the receiver as she rolled on some chapstick and pulled her hair off her sweaty neck and into a ponytail.

Liz slid the receiver back into place and stuck her cell into her back pocket before walking towards the lobby. Forcing a smile, she prepared to meet another group, wishing she had remembered that morning to look at the names and their reasons for visiting. Granted, most of the time she was on autopilot, but she at least liked to have a general idea of what specifically the prospects were interested in.

Turning the corner, she could hear a man smoothly talking to Nancy. Liz smiled. Nancy was wonderful at her job and was the friendliest person on campus. She always made everyone feel welcome, and not to mention her baking was sensational; downright sinful in many cases.

Liz could hear Nancy trying to coax the man into eating one of the muffins she had brought in that morning, however he continued to politely refuse.

Liz opened her mouth to spare the poor man but instead she came to a halt upon rounding the corner.

The man too straightened at the sight of her, his easygoing manner long forgotten. His jaw grew tight and his body tensed.

"Elizabeth," he said.

"Will," Liz said quietly.

"Liz, you already know your 2:30 appointment?" Nancy inquired, staring back and forth between the two, who hadn't yet stopped looking at each other. "Wait… Are you dating this handsome man?"

Liz gaped at her, eyes wide. Date Will? No! Never! Why would she think that? Why couldn't she say it outloud?!

Taking her silence as confirmation, Nancy said, "How wonderful!"

Liz continued staring blankly between Will and Nancy. She knew she needed to open her mouth and say, "No. I am not dating him. In fact, I cant stand him!" however, she was completely struck dumb. Seeing him here was surreal. She considered the chances of this moment happening being completely implausible, but yet here he was. Standing before her, looking every bit as stoic and haughty as the last time she had seen him. She narrowed her eyes, waiting for him to set Nancy straight.

When he realized Liz wasn't going to respond, Will did.

"We met back in July while she was on vacation with her family," he offered Nancy.

Her face fell. _He didn't deny it. Why didn't he deny it? What kind of game is he playing? Does he just enjoy watching her squirm?_

"How sweet," Nancy cooed. Her face implied she wanted to say more, but she wisely only added, "Well, you two have a good time. The golf cart is all ready for you."

She held the keys out to Liz, who forcefully grabbed them. Without saying a word, she walked out the door with Will following. She was only a few yards away from the building before her wits got the better of her and she rounded on him.

"What was that?" she said through gritted teeth. It wasn't enough for this arrogant, egotistical man to ruin her vacation, but here he was encroaching on her workplace.

His eyes were now hidden behind dark sunglasses, giving nothing away. She kicked herself for not remembering her own, imagining how stupid she must look squinting up at him. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, waiting for a response and trying to look intimidating.

"Now rumors are going to spread," she continued berating him, "and everyone's always going to ask me about you."

"I didn't see you speaking up," he retorted in his thick British accent. "It's almost as if you wished it _was_ true."

He smirked, and Liz let out a groan when she remembered Nancy was in her mother's circle of friends. Why even now she could be texting her mother about her discovery. She placed a palm to her forehead.

"Listen," stated Liz, "you are nothing more than a pain in my…"

"I'm here for a tour," Will said, interrupting her. "If you would like, I will be more than happy to go in there and set her straight, but it may seem a little suspicious to her now. I doubt she will believe me. However if it will make you somewhat happy…"

He turned to head back to the office.

"You knew I worked here," she suddenly accused. He stopped and turned towards her once again. "I already have one stalker, I don't need another one."

"I knew you were a student at some university in Florida. It just so happens to be the one I am touring today," he rebutted. "Wait… who is stalking you? ….Is it Gale? I warned you…"

It was her turn to interrupt him. Liz held up a finger, indicating he needed to zip it.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no, it's not Gale. Ugh… this just isn't my day," she mumbled before taking long strides towards the golf cart.

She sat in the driver's seat and leaned forward to insert the key and put it in drive.

"My apologies," Will said before sitting next to her. "Not that it means much to you, but if you need my assistance, I will be happy to…"

"Yes, I have seen the way you help people," she jabbed. "I can handle it myself."

When she leaned back, she noticed his one arm draped casually over the seat behind her. Despite the feel of his arm and torso against her, she took in a deep breath, regaining her composure and professionalism.

"So, what did you want to see today? We have the largest flight line of any private university in the United States and our Engineering programs have been ranked within the top 10 in the nation."

"I was planning to see the planes, flight line, and simulation center," he swiftly replied. "I have a meeting with someone about a few refresher flights or courses."

"You know, our fight teams are ranked the top two in the nation," she said haughtily as she made a turn towards the building housing all flight operations, which was just past the library and student center.

"Yes, but the team on the campus out west is ranked number one. They are more…focused out there," Will stated as they drove past a couple kissing on the quad and another group of students packing up their car for an afternoon at the beach.

"Your students here have more distractions, which is why they aren't first," he continued. "When I was on the team, we ranked top in everything every year."

"You're an alum?" she questioned, taken completely off guard.

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Yes…. I thought you were aware of that fact," he stated.

"How? It's not like I Googled you," Liz retorted. _Technically, Charlotte did._

He threw her a skeptical expression.

"My aunt stopped by over a month ago and said she spoke with you and your boss about my coming back to get refresher training," he explained. "I wanted a tour of the facilities before I begin next week."

"Hold up," Liz said, pulling to a stop in front of the flight building. "Let me get this straight…" She turned to face Will. "Your aunt is Vivian Van der Berg?"

He threw her an exasperated look before standing up. She followed and they made for the main entrance. Liz was about to make a snide comment about how he should stop assuming everyone knows and cares about his life when a man's voice bellowed from the now open doorway.

"William!"

Elizabeth recognized him as the head honcho of the flight line but she had never formally met the man.

"Gerry," Will said, extending his hand. "It's nice to see you again."

"You too! You too!" Gerry responded, throwing an arm over Will's shoulders. "Come, let me show you around. We'll start in the Sim Center."

Liz made to follow them, but Gerry eyed her, implying her services were no longer needed. She glanced at Will, but his face was as impassive as ever. Fine. She was the chauffer. Never mind it was her job. Liz was about to awkwardly turn and leave when her phone chimed. Saved by the bell. Pulling it out, she saw it was from Gale. Ironic. They had texted on and off for the past few months, but his timing today was impeccable. She smiled and began typing out her response.

"Say hi to Gale for me," Will spat before walking away with Gerry, his tone dripping with bitterness. They both knew he neither wanted her to relay the message nor approved of her still conversing with him.

* * *

"Ok spill!" Charlotte pounced once Liz walked in the door.

She groaned.

"Please tell me my mom didn't get to you too! It took me forever to convince Nancy just a little bit that she blew things way out of proportion," said Liz.

"It wasn't your mother," Charlotte assured her. "I may have happened to see you both looking quite comfortable on the golf cart this afternoon."

"I thought you had class until three?" Liz asked before realizing how defensive she sounded.

"My professor released us early and boy am I happy he did! I didn't think it was possible, but his picture doesn't do him justice."

"Well," responded Liz, "his ego is still very much in tact, I assure you."

"That's not the only thing that's flawless."

"Charlotte!"

"Hey! A girl can admire God's fine, _fine_ work," she said dreamily. "I bet he's actually charming once you get to know him."

"Now you're starting to sound like Jane," said Liz.

"Well, maybe she's right and you're the one that's wrong," Charlotte mused.

"Not likely."

"But possible! So…." Charlotte pried, leaning closer. "What did you talk about?"

"Nothing much. My disdain for him, Milan stalking me, the campus… Oh! Did you know he was an alum?" Liz shared.

"No…"

"And his aunt was in a few months ago. She just happens to be on of the university's top donors. Wait..." Liz said as she pondered back on their earlier conversation. "Will said his aunt spoke with my boss and me. That liar! I asked him outright if he knew I worked there and he denied it!"

Charlotte said nothing, and Liz could tell she was trying to suppress a smile. Liz pointed a finger at her and told her not to even think about it before leaving the room.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to avoid Will on campus. In the two weeks he was there, Liz only saw him a handful of times. The first she nearly bumped into him while grabbing a quick lunch in the cafeteria. If he hadn't reached out for her arm to hold her steady, her meal would have found itself on the floor, or worse, herself. The other time she was walking a rather large tour group through the flight line when she spotted Will walking back into the building with his instructor after a flight. She hated to admit it, but despite the scorching heat, he looked quite handsome with his flight bag over his shoulder and aviator sunglasses covering his eyes. Spotting him soon became a game to her like _Where's Waldo_? Liz, Jane, Charlotte and one of their childhood friends, Steven, were occupying an outside table under a large oak tree. Steven had just been removing a leaf from Jane's hair when Liz saw Will sitting at one of the benches across the lawn. Although his head was down facing the book in his hands, she knew he was blatantly watching them.

It was nearing the end of September when Liz found a bag containing a chocolate croissant and a hot tea on her desk one morning. She went to the front to thank Nancy for her thoughtfulness, however she just smiled up at her and said it was from her "handsome male friend." After she pried more vague details from Nancy, Liz was certain who had left the gift. It unsettled her, Will's attention and random act of generosity. It was so unlike him. Heck he hadn't said more than a few words to her in the past two weeks, not that she was counting, and he just suddenly brought her food; But not just any food, her favorite breakfast junk food and hot beverage. Liz checked the calendar on her phone and saw her suspicions were correct; it was indeed his final day. She felt relieved that he was gone, knowing her mother and family would now be less likely to hear about the town's latest bachelor. Good riddance. She had already sworn Charlotte and Nancy to silence, and who knows what dam could have broken if he ran into someone else. Yet, a strange sense of sadness came over her for reasons she did not yet know.

That night when Liz walked in she flicked on the lights and turned the thermostat to what Charlotte would consider freezing. She then dug into her dresser and pulled out his hoodie. She sighed before thrusting her arms and head through the comfortable fabric. Curling up in her chair, she began working on homework and lost track of the time. She didn't even recall hearing Charlotte come home when her roommate shouted from the living room.

"Liz! Come here!"

Liz ran out and knew something was wrong, given Charlotte's pale face and horrified expression. She turned towards the television screen as Charlotte raised the volume.

" _Hurricane Ivy has now grown to a category 5 hurricane_ ," the weatherman was saying. " _As you can see by the various models, most have the eye tracking over Florida in some capacity, making landfall by Tuesday. All residents are encouraged to get out now while they can since the storm is capable of producing hail, tornados, and heavy rainfall, resulting in flooding."_

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Charlotte said, reaching for her phone. "I'm booking me a flight home. Want me to get one for you too?"

"I'm going to see what my parents want to do," Liz replied calmly, wrapping her arms around herself.

"How are you not more nervous about this?!" Charlotte exclaimed. "There is a hurricane heading right for us!"

"I bought a radio, extra batteries, flashlights, and a battery operated fan last month, and..." Liz began

"Of course you did," Charlotte said interrupting her.

"And my parents always have their own stock as well," she continued. "We will probably have to get extra water and gasoline for the generator if we stay…"

Liz reached for her own phone and began making a list.

"If?" said Charlotte. "Girl, you're crazy."

"I've stayed before," she responded, typing in various notes and things to do. "Many times actually."

"Case in point."

"Most of the time they are downgraded by the time they reach us anyways," Liz said in her defense.

"But that depends on where it makes landfall," said Charlotte. "And I certainly plan on being out of here well before that baby gets anywhere near me. When do you think they will shut down the university?"

"Well last year we didn't have any, but I think the year before they closed a few days beforehand to give everyone a chance to evacuate."

She was staring back at the screen where they were reporting the latest wind gusts from the storm. The weatherman brought up a diagram showing the damage potential for each category. In the each level stood the same house and lawn, but as the category got higher, the more noticeable the damage. In Category 1 trees were blowing and rain fell heavily but by the time they got to a Category 5, it showed wind ripping the roof off of the home, which soon became a pile of rubble.

"You're sure you don't want me to book you a ticket too?" Charlotte asked again, her eyes still wide in fright from the presented illustration.

"Yes, thank you though. I need to stay with my family."

Charlotte clicked the final button to purchase her plane ticket.

"Got one of the last middle seats on tomorrow's evening flight. There were only three left. I'm not taking any chances."

"I can drive you to the airport on my way to my parent's house. Have they said what category the storm is?" Liz asked.

Charlotte turned to her and said, "Five."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Author's Note: I wrote this chapter while Hurricane Irma was traveling over my state last year, which is how I got the inspiration to include it in this story. My family and I did stay, as we have through many hurricanes in the past, and it's all taken from my personal experiences the night it came through. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

The trees began rustling again, ominous and foreshadowing the inevitable: another band was about to come through. Liz sighed and sat up. She had just gotten used to the silence again. Their power had gone out over three hours ago and Liz was the last one awake. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until the worst was past them but her tired eyes threatened her with sleep every time she blinked.

Liz picked up her phone and checked the radar once more. Another alert popped up after it unlocked, saying the tornado warning was being extended an additional 15 minutes. Big surprise, given this was the same update she had been receiving every 15 minutes since 8 p.m. Noting the time, she groaned. 2 a.m. From her estimates, she had another hour and a half to go until the worst was past them and she could finally sleep.

The eye of the hurricane was making its way up the west coast of Florida. The inner bands of the storm were coming through their area, bringing high winds, heavy rainfall, and possible tornadoes. Before their power was cut, Liz heard a reporter mention how one tornado had already touched down. She scanned social media and read accounts of people claiming sounds could be heard resembling jet engines or waterfalls and for everyone to brace themselves. Liz had always been told it sounded like a train, but she added those sounds to her mental list of ones to be mindful of for the next two hours.

Placing her phone down, Liz adjusted herself on her perch in the front room of her parent's house. Her and Jane had arrived two days earlier with all their necessities after the school closures had been announced. Lydia, on the other hand, had waited until the last minute to leave her dorm room and drive over with her packed up belongings, which included several cell phone charger packs. By the time Lydia showed up, the house was all board up and all necessary prep was complete. Liz had tested her patience waiting in an outrageously long line to fill up her car with gasoline and while at the grocery store stocking up on water and nonperishables. She had also helped Jane search in every closet, drawer and cupboard in the house for extra batteries, matches, flashlights, candles, and battery powered lanterns.

"We should have gone to your aunt and uncle's home," their mother was murmuring for the hundredth time that day.

She had been glued to the television all day, scanning between various news stations, all of which displayed the same doom and gloom storyline: get out now while you still can. She hollered about how nervous she was, going on about how the house would most likely collapse around them if they stayed, or, worse, be carried of in a tornado with them all trapped inside. Before Liz knew it, her mother had begun packing her belongings while calling hotels in the surrounding states. The closest vacancy she could find was over 7 hours away. Jane had managed to talk her out of reserving the room by showing her the traffic on the interstate. Unlike their trip back from The Keys, the cars were at a complete standstill for miles and miles.

"See," reasoned Jane, "we wouldn't be getting anywhere anyways. We are all prepared and the hurricane will weaken before it even gets to us. We have stayed through worse hurricanes before."

After that moment, the girls thought it best to not let their mother subject herself to anything relating to the hurricane. They told her to rest and read a book while they completed all the necessary preparations with their father, to whom she mumbled and complained some more. Liz poured her a generous glass of wine and that seemed to put it all at rest. At least for now.

Their father pulled the generator from out of the back of the messy garage and, after several attempts, finally got it working. Having lived in Florida for their entire lives, the Bennets were pros when it came to hurricane prep. What no one is ever prepared for, however, is the aftermath. The lack of power and especially the 90-degree weather, was miserable. At least they knew enough to put their air conditioning on very cool so it didn't start sweating too quickly. During their last big storm, the Bennet's had lost power for over 14 days. By the time their power was restored, Mrs. Bennet was constantly horizontal in front of one of the working fans, assuaging her headaches. Their father, on the other hand, cleaned up their yard and assisted neighbors as he was able. Jane and Liz alternated between sitting with their mother and bringing their father and neighbors cold beverages. Then there was Lydia, who went stir crazy without her reality TV shows. She huffed around the house complaining about anything that came to mind. Overall, Jane and Liz did their best to keep the general peace.

Staring out the window into the darkness, the sky lit up blue once more as another transformer exploded in the distance. The fifth in the past ten minutes. She had helped her father board up their house two days before and this was one of the only windows left untouched. Since it was shielded by the garage and front sitting room, it seemed like the perfect place to "hunker down" as everyone annoyingly labeled it. The only other windows providing any sort of dimly lit view were along the back of the house near where everyone was sleeping. Those windows overlooked the pool, and the screen enclosure had provided plenty of shelter in the past. With no trees in their backyard, it was the only room large enough to fit them all inside and a half wall would shield them should something happen.

Liz stood and stretched before turning on her flashlight and walking quietly into the kitchen. Using the light, she grabbed a bottle of Coke from a cooler on the counter and took a sip. She sighed contentedly and hoped the caffeine would help. It was only 2:30am and the radio hosts were saying there was at least nine hours to go before the hurricane had completely passed them. This was one of those times when Liz wished she liked coffee. On her way back Liz peeked into the back room to check on her family.

The battery-operated fans were whirling and despite the typical Florida heat, it was still comfortable. Lydia had fallen asleep as soon as the power cut out, declaring there was nothing better to do. She had dragged a twin mattress in front of the couch and now lay on her stomach grasping a pillow in a peaceful slumber. Their mother stayed up a half hour longer talking with Jane. She originally tried to sleep in her bedroom but soon emerged stating it was too hot. After making up both couches, she took the smaller one, knowing it would fit her petite frame. Their father was snoring in his chair, reading glasses still perched on his nose and book against his chest. His legs were crossed at the ankles. Jane slept curled up on the other couch. She had been determined to keep Liz company but, in the end, her eyelids had lost the battle, and Liz had insisted she get her rest. Her university emailed saying they would be closed for at least four more days, whereas Jane was already told to expect to return in two days time.

Liz went back on her perch. She took another swig of her drink and settled back into a sitting position on the daybed. Switching her flashlight off, she checked her phone for any new weather alerts or text messages before locking it again. The tornado warnings had ceased, to which she was grateful. There had been so many reports within the past few weeks as to where the hurricane would go, with all potential tracks leaving Liz and her family on the "dirty side" of the hurricane, which would bestow them with tornadoes, storm surges, high wind gusts, dangerous lightening, exponential rainfall, and extensive flooding.

During these moments you could spend every minute worrying if flying debris would break through the window, or if the wind would rip your roof off, or if the storm surge would rush in, flooding your house. There was also the possibility of a tornado tearing through and leaving you homeless. Yes, in these moments when everything was outside of your control and you couldn't do anything but hope and pray, the worry could consume you if you let it. And it would. Eagerly. Liz could feel it bubbling just below the surface.

Once her eyes adjusted, Liz could see their neighbor across the street shining their flashlight within their garage. She was contemplating sending a SOS signal with her own flashlight when the radio hosts interrupted the governor's update by stating another tornado could potentially touch down in her town. Liz reached for her phone and pulled up the radar. After impatiently waiting for it to load, she saw the formation they were referring to was already north of them. Zooming outward, the picture didn't show any additional dangerous cells heading towards them for the rest of the evening; just wind and rain. They were finally in the clear. Liz released the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

The wind and rain had picked up again and Liz decided to lie down. This she could deal with. Fluffing up a pillow and placing it beneath her head she stared at the tall palm trees across the street bending back and forth. Before she knew it, the whirling had lulled her into a deep sleep.

* * *

You never realize how much noise there is in the world until you're force into quiet nothingness. Liz awoke from a surprisingly good slumber to complete and utter quiet. No tvs, cars on the street, appliances whirling, nothing. Stretching, she yawned and padded out towards the kitchen to get something to eat.

"Wow. You look awful," commented Lydia when Liz entered.

"Well some of us didn't get a full night's rest because we were keeping an eye out for tornados," retorted Liz as she grabbed an apple from a bowl on the counter. "Where's dad?"

"Hooking up the generator," Jane responded.

Liz finished eating and threw on some old clothes before walking outside to see if she could help. The sky was still cloudy, with spurts of rain now and again, which was perfect given the work their dad would want done today. It still didn't stop her from starting to sweat the moment she left the house. Their neighbors had already begun their cleanup process as well, dragging large limbs to the ends of their driveway and raking up leaves and other fallen debris.

"What's the damage?" she asked her father upon spotting him on the side of the house.

"The Petersons had a small tree fall across their driveway and another large tree fell back into the woods. They're lucky it didn't crush their house," he said.

Liz smiled knowingly. Their first big storm in their house brought down an old tree. It had missed their house by mere inches. Although, one branch had draped itself onto the edge of their roof, giving the appearance that it was holding on for dear life.

Her father cranked the generator to life and they began running industrial cords throughout the house. Before long, their refrigerator was running once more, along with strategically placed boxed fans. A power strip was in the kitchen, powering a lamp and an electric fryer, when needed, and another cable ran into the back of the house, bringing the TV back to life. Lydia began praising their parents for switching to satellite TV earlier that year.

They were stuck with the boards up for now until the electric was restored to power the drill, so Liz and Jane helped their dad with dragging downed branches to the end of their driveway and raking and bagging up the debris. They then walked around their small neighborhood to see if anyone else needed assistance.

By the time Liz was finished, she was soaked with sweat. Walking around to the back of the house, she sat at the edge of the pool and placed her feet into the cold water. Before long, Jane sat down next to her and Lydia brought them each a cold bottle of water, per their mother's instruction, before hiding in the house once more. Liz took a sip before sealing the bottle and placing it against her neck.

Jane had been distant the past several days, and Liz wondered if she was reading into things too much. Her sister hadn't uttered a word about Chris in the past few weeks, but Liz rationalized it was because the hurricane was at the forefront of her mind, like everyone else.

She removed the cold bottle from her skin and placed it beside her. Dipping her hands into the water, she skimmed away the dirt and brought cool water to her face. Moving her wet hands over her arms and neck, she instantly felt better. Liz leaned back, listening to the birds chirping in the trees surrounding them.

"It's been almost a month since I've heard from him," Jane admitted to the stillness.

Liz glanced over at her sister.

"I assumed I would hear from him before the storm hit saying to be safe or even afterwards to make sure I was fine," Jane confessed, "but nothing."

She could hear her sister crying softly.

"I texted but the those went unanswered as did my calls. What's wrong with me, Liz?" Jane asked. "Why did he stop? What did I do?"

Liz pulled her sister into her arms, trying to sooth her.

"You did nothing," Liz assured her. If she had one guess, Liz would bet Will had something to do with Chris' lack of response. It seemed very likely that he would interfere and persuade his friend that Jane was not right for him, especially after what he overheard their mother say in the Keys.

"You know how communications can be after the hurricanes come through, calls don't come through and it's difficult to send texts or even get reception," Liz rationalized, hoping it would make her sister feel a little better in the meantime. "I'm sure he is thinking of you."

She kissed the top of Jane's head. Yes, she was sure of that. Chris was probably thinking about Jane, but so long as Will stood between them, Liz knew Jane would not hear from Chris again.

* * *

Liz adjusted the fan and plopped into bed completely exhausted. The cold shower had felt good and she was hoping it would be enough to help her fall asleep. All clouds had floated away that afternoon, revealing the blazing sun. As a result, the house had gotten exceedingly warmer despite the boards blocking out most of the sunlight. Hearing her phone buzz, Liz saw a text from Charlotte.

 **C: Please tell me you're still alive.**

 **L: Yes, I'm alive and sunburnt... and possibly melting…**

 **L: I think I am going to be sore for weeks.**

 **C: Why?**

 **L: Had to clean up. Raked leaves, hauled limbs, helped a neighbor chop up downed tree.**

 **C: Oh wow. How's the apartment?**

 **L: Haven't gotten over there yet. Venturing out tomorrow… hopefully.**

Liz smiled. Charlotte had always flown back to northern Texas whenever the words "Florida" and "hurricane" came in the same sentence. As a result, she was quite ignorant about the restrictions that were placed on those that did stay. There were downed power lines, flooding, and no traffic lights due to the lack of power. Curfews were also put into place. From dusk until dawn, no one was allowed outside for their own safety and the safety of others.

 **L: When do you fly back?**

 **C: In two days. Let me know if you need me to bring anything back with me.**

 **L: Will do!**

 **C: Glad you're safe!**

Turning off her phone, Liz stared up at the dark ceiling, letting the sound of crickets lull her into a fitful sleep.


End file.
